Cheating? Or Falling in Love?
by BitterSweet Crazy
Summary: Family tradition says it's best if she spends some time away from her fiance before the wedding, and that's four months away. She didn't plan on having a party, but her friends threw one anyway. She also knew that her fiance loves her, but why did she wake up with someone else sleeping next to her?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Party

 **This idea basically came from 'If Kasumi and Hayabusa didn't meet, who would/could she be with?' Then this story came to life. This is a Modern AU, so some characters will have a different personality, but I hope I don't make them terrible.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Dead or Alive or any of it's characters. I own the plot of this story, though.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _I can't believe I'm getting married soon._ That was the only thought in her head as she reached a hand into her pocket to get her keys. Almost everything was ready for the wedding, she just had to wait for the big day. She never saw herself as the type to get married before the rest of her friends, but she couldn't stop herself from falling for her fiance when she first met him.

 _I miss him already,_ she thought. She opened the door to the average house and smiled at her roommate, who was sitting on the couch. Her amber eyes widened when her roommate quickly hugged her but she instantly returned it.

"Kasumi, you're back! It feels like I've been waiting forever."

"I'm sorry, Tina," she apologized, joining her friend on the couch. "I was saying my goodbyes to Rig."

Tina frowned and asked, "You're calling the wedding off?"

Kasumi gasped and shook her head. "No, we're just taking some time away from each other during the next four months."

"Really? Why?"

"It's been one of my family's traditions for a long time. My mother told me that the break is meant to give the person some time to think about if he or she is ready for marriage."

"In that case, are you ready?" Tina questioned, smiling when Kasumi nodded. "Too bad we're not going to spend as much time together as we do now!"

"I know. That's why I'm going to spend this break with all of my friends and family," Kasumi announced, laughing while Tina cheered in happiness.

A couple of knocks came from outside, so Kasumi went to open the door. Her other best friends, Hitomi and Leifang, were standing there along with Kasumi's sister, Ayane. She greeted the group and stepped aside so they could come in. Everyone got comfortable before Tina spoke again.

"Kasumi finally has some time to herself before the wedding," she declared. "I'm guessing y'all know what that means."

"Bachelorette party?" Leifang guessed. Tina nodded and went into the kitchen then came back with two bottles of wine and some glasses. Hitomi and Ayane seemed exited about the idea although the same thing couldn't be said for Kasumi.

"I don't think a party is really necessary," she claimed. Ayane rolled her eyes and mumbled something while Hitomi threw an arm around Kasumi's shoulders.

"Come on. Lighten up," Hitomi pleaded. Ayane sipped from her glass and whispered something to Leifang, who giggled and shook her head.

"I don't know. I have some bad feelings about a bachelorette party," Kasumi revealed.

"Are you worried about Rig finding out about it?" Ayane inquired.

"It doesn't matter if he finds out," Leifang broke in.

"That's not what I'm worried about," Kasumi assured. "What if something happens and everything else goes wrong?"

"We're not going to let anything bad happen," Hitomi reasoned. "We know how exited you are about the wedding. This party might be the last time we get to spend as the usual group!"

"You said that as if I'm leaving and will never come back," Kasumi replied.

"The only thing we're going to do is talk, watch some movies, and have some drinks," Tina joined in. Kasumi still seemed unsure, but after listening to the various reasons behind why they should have the party, she chose to go along with the idea. She trusted her friends, so she doubts if anything goes wrong.

...

"We need more drinks," Tina slurred. Leifang shook her head then turned the nearby music player on. The girls have been celebrating for a few hours now, and during that time they managed to work their way through some of the drinks.

"We also need something else to do," Ayane added, lifting her cup to drink from it. Tina smiled and glanced at Kasumi, who surprisingly drank more than the girls thought she would. Her face was slightly flushed and her eyes weren't too focused.

Honestly, Kasumi was bored. She knew some parties could get extremely wild, but she knew most bachelorette parties weren't this boring. _Why did I not want a bachelorette party in the first place?_ She sighed, finished her drink, and poured herself another cup. There wasn't much to do, and Kasumi was tempted to go visit Rig regardless of the family tradition. Her finger traced the rim of the glass as she stared at the coffee table.

"We should go out and do something," Kasumi suggested. She couldn't tell if the radio was getting louder or if the alcohol was beginning to serve its purpose. _Maybe it's both,_ she briefly thought.

"Let's go visit Hayate," Hitomi chimed in. Tina laughed as she pointed out Hitomi's distant stare. Leifang rolled her eyes and Kasumi shrugged.

"Hayate hasn't even arrived in the city yet. I don't remember all of it, but he said something about tomorrow or Thursday," Ayane reasoned. Hitomi pouted and grumbled something about 'Hayate' and 'traveling.' Kasumi slowly stood and raised a hand to point at the door.

"Kasumi, you're too drunk to be dancing," Leifang drawled after finishing her drink. Kasumi tilted her head and sipped some of her drink then pointed to the door again.

"I'm so bored right now. Let's go out and find some entertainment," Kasumi pleaded. Silence filled the room before it was replaced by a loud gasp that came from Tina, who was staring at her phone with a big smile.

"What are you looking at, Tina?" Hitomi questioned, trying to lean over Tina's shoulder so she could see. Tina quickly put her phone away and stood up to go get some more drinks. Kasumi was confused by whatever Tina was doing, so she ignored it and repeated her suggestion.

"Why would we go looking for entertainment, when the entertainment might be looking for us?" Tina hinted. The other girls were immediately interested and started asking multiple questions at once. Holding her hands up and telling them all to wait, Ayane faced Tina to ask the question that they all wanted an answer to.

"Where's the entertainment, then?"

There was a sudden knock at the door and Tina's smile reappeared on her face. She quickly went to the door and opened it, revealing a man who was leaning against the door frame. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties and had a muscular build. A pair of aviators covered his eyes, and he wore a tight, sleeveless white hoodie with the hood covering his hair along with both black pants and shoes. Kasumi could feel his gaze on her as he shifted to hear Tina whisper something to him. She blushed and watched as Tina dragged a hand down the man's chest and to his belt before he placed his own hand on top of hers to keep her from going any further.

"You're not ready for me to go that far. Trust me," he stated, stepping further into the room. Tina smirked and closed the door. She then gave the girls another drink and told them to sit down while she tossed the remote for the music player to the man.

"I hope you all remember at least some of this in the morning," Tina declared. "Now we're in for one hell of a night!"

That might have been the last sentence Kasumi clearly understood before the alcohol truly took over her mind.

...

 **I always have a problem with writing the first chapter of something. Anyway, I hope you all liked it! This will be different from my other stories, but I figured I'll give it a chance.**

 **Thanks for reading. Reviews would be awesome!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Consequences

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Last night was crazy,_ Kasumi thought as soon as she woke up. There were patches of light streaming in from the window and she knew that she was in her bedroom. She remembered having some drinks with her friends and someone coming to the house, but anything after that wasn't in her memory.

 _Where is everyone else?_ She was going to get up and find her friends, but an unexpected weight on her waist kept her from moving. Kasumi nervously grabbed part of her blanket and lifted it before dropping it and covering her mouth so she wouldn't scream.

 _No,_ her mind shouted as she realized what kind of situation she was in. Here she was, lying in her bed completely nude with someone's arm across her waist, and she didn't know how she got there. She tried not to panic more than she already was when she felt how close the body was behind her. _Please let this be a cruel joke,_ she begged. She didn't want to imagine what could have led to this moment, but she had a good idea about it.

Another problem with this was that she didn't know what to do.

She could turn around and see who was currently sharing a bed with her, or she could leave her room and avoid the awkward meeting. She didn't want to make a bad decision even if they both aren't good options at the moment. Her headache was getting worse and she was trying not to become too stressed out. She tensed when the arm slowly slipped from her waist, the fingers lightly touching her back.

"Damn it," the person cursed. The husky voice obviously belonged to a male, but Kasumi knew that it wasn't Rig's. The man sat up on the bed and sighed, sending chills down Kasumi's spine. The extra weight on the bed disappeared, so Kasumi took a chance and turned around to see the man.

His back was turned to her, and she was amazed by the red scratches that were in multiple areas. _Did I...?_ She closed her eyes when he turned around, but not before catching a glimpse of his-dare she admit it-well defined abs. He picked up his hoodie and turned back around, giving Kasumi the opportunity to continue staring at him. She knew it was wrong to look at the man that way since she's engaged; however, she was captivated by how his muscles moved while he put on the hoodie.

She wanted to see his face although she had doubts about if she would recognize him. The man was fully dressed a few minutes later and glancing around the room. He was unaware of Kasumi watching while he put on a pair of aviators and wrote something down on a small piece of paper. The man placed the paper on Kasumi's bedside table and quietly exited the room.

A couple of seconds after he left, Kasumi got out of her bed. She swiftly put on a bath robe then looked around her were clothes and objects on the floor, not to mention her bed being a total mess. She pushed the thought of cleaning off to side and picked out some fresh clothes then went to take a shower.

She was done an hour later, dressed in a blue shirt and gray sweatpants. She was putting her hair in a ponytail when she noticed that her engagement ring was missing. She was wearing it before the party, so it had to be somewhere in the house. After searching almost every part of her room, Kasumi found it on the floor with last night's clothes. _If I put it on now, it'll be a constant reminder of my mistake,_ she thought. Feeling guilty, Kasumi gently placed the ring on her beside table.

The note that the man had left was still sitting there, and Kasumi felt unsure about if she wanted to read it. It could answer some of her questions about last night, or it could add more to the list. She was curious, so she picked up the note and started to read it.

[Good morning, beautiful. Last night was fun, and I hope I met your expectations for the private show. If I didn't, let me know and I'll gladly make it up to you.]

 _Private show?! I need to know what happened last night,_ Kasumi decided. If 'private show' meant what she thought it did, then her idea about what happened last night was already confirmed.

...

She found everyone else in the living room along with the mess they managed to make. Tina was lying face-down on the couch and Leifang was on the floor, leaning against it. Ayane was hanging off half of the loveseat and had a bottle of something in her hand. Hitomi was halfway on the coffee table and halfway on the rest on the loveseat. Kasumi would've let them sleep off their hangovers, but she had important matters to deal with.

"Wake up, ladies," she shouted. Multiple groans came from the crowd and all of the girls were awake a few minutes later.

"What the hell, Kasumi?" Ayane mumbled.

"That's what I want to know! What happened last night?" she questioned. They stared at each other in confusion until Tina stood up and spoke.

"Kasumi, can this wait? I have a terrible headache and I'm tired. We'll talk about it later," she claimed. The girls were also nodding in agreement, but Kasumi stubbornly shook her head.

"No, this can not wait! I woke up next to a stranger in my room this morning. I need to know who he is and how he ended up over here! Look at what he did to me," she exclaimed, pulling on the neckline of her shirt. There were multiple red marks on her neck, and some of them were going past her collarbone. Hitomi gasped then sat down and faced Kasumi.

"Did you sleep with the guy?"

"Most likely. Part of my mind still hopes that this is a joke although I know that it is not," Kasumi answered.

"M-Maybe Rig came by during the party when we weren't paying attention," Leifang suggested.

"No, I would have known if it was him. Can someone please tell me something about this guy? I thought nothing bad was going to happen last night!"

While Ayane, Hitomi, and Leifang were telling Kasumi that they didn't know who the man was, Tina was standing a short distance away with a nervous expression. When the girls were waiting for her to speak, she bit her lip and stepped forward. "Don't be angry," she pleaded. "I hired a male stripper for the bachelorette party. I swear I didn't plan for any of this to happen, I just wanted you to have some fun!"

Kasumi didn't say anything while she processed what Tina revealed. _I slept with a male stripper,_ she thought while she sat down and wrapped her arms around her knees. She knew this situation was bad, but it was about to get a lot worse.

"I-I cheated on my fiancé," she declared, more to herself than her friends. A few tears started to slide down her cheeks before she quickly hid her face behind her hands. Tina moved forward but was stopped by Ayane, who was staring at her in disappointment.

The silence was tense as Ayane went over and kneeled next to Kasumi. She whispered something to Kasumi and waited until she nodded. They both stood up and walked back to Kasumi's room, leaving the others behind. Ayane didn't bother to invite them to come along since she didn't want any more problems that could ruin her sister's wedding.

...

 **Thanks for reading. Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Face to Face

 **Disclaimer:I don't own Dead or Alive and its characters. I only own the plot.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Days have passed, and Kasumi was able to pull herself together somewhat. There were still some questions about that night that she needed to answer, but maybe it was for the best if she left the situation alone. Tina had also apologized many times, but Kasumi had a really difficult time getting over it. It's not like it was Tina's fault that Kasumi slept with the stripper, the only thing she did was hire him so her friend could be entertained. Kasumi also tried to contact Rig, but he hasn't been answering his phone and everytime she calls his office, someone says that he's busy.

Kasumi sighed and rolled over on the couch so she could stare at the ceiling. Tina, Hitomi, and Leifang were also in the living room, talking about something that Kasumi didn't bother to listen to. Ayane had left an hour ago, claiming that she was going to go get something. The way she said it made Kasumi suspicious, but Ayane was always planning something at some point.

"Kasumi, what's wrong?" Leifang asked, bringing Kasumi out of her thoughts.

"Nothing. I'm just distracted," she replied, shaking her head. Leifang smiled and nodded, making Kasumi smile in return. Someone started knocking on the door a few minutes later, so Kasumi got up to open it. Ayane was standing outside with another person, who Kasumi quickly recognized as their brother, Hayate. She smiled at both of them and gave them a hug, also noticing a man exit another car and walk to the house.

After she invited them in, everyone sat down in the large living room. Hayate and Hitomi were sitting on the loveseat; Kasumi, Ayane, and Tina were sitting on the couch; and Leifang sat in the armchair while the man sat in the recliner. Now that everyone was comfortable in their seats, Kasumi turned to face Hayate.

"It's been a while since we've seen each other," she declared. "What have you been up to?"

"Well, the case I've been working on has been suspended, so I decided to come here and visit my family and friends," he responded. He paused then continued, "There are more things I have to tell you, but we'll talk about it later."

Kasumi nodded, curious about what Hayate had to tell her. Tina was busy watching the man in the recliner, who was quietly doing something on his phone. She turned to Hayate and pointed a finger at the man then spoke.

"Speaking of friends and family, who is this handsome guy over here?"

The man suddenly dropped his phone and looked up, letting it fall to the floor. While Kasumi started at him, she had to admit that he was handsome. He had his brown hair held up in a ponytail and his eyes were a vibrant green although they also had a golden hue. He was wearing a sky blue shirt and khaki joggers with a pair of black and white Vans.

"My name is Ryu Hayabusa. I'm Hayate's friend," he announced, picking up his phone.

"Hmm... I can call you by your last name, right?"

"Most people do that anyway," he informed. Tina smiled at him while Ayane glanced at Hayate then back to Hayabusa.

"How come we haven't met before?"

Kasumi sighed and kept quiet although she was thinking the same thing. After a long explanation, everyone-excluding Hayate and Hayabusa-discovered that the two men were childhood friends until Hayabusa had to move away. They ran into each other at college years later, and have been in contact ever since.

"What do you do for a living, Hayabusa?" Hitomi asked. Hayate seemed nervous for some reason, making Kasumi suspicious. Hayabusa sighed and rubbed his arm.

"I'm an artist," he confided. It was quiet until Leifang asked him about what kind of art he created. The group then started discussing random topics although Kasumi excused herself and went into the kitchen. Fixing herself a cup of water, Kasumi sat down at the kitchen table and thought about why she was distracted by Hayabusa. _I don't know what it is about him_. Something about Hayabusa felt familiar, yet Kasumi couldn't figure what it was.

She was too deep in her thoughts to notice that her friends and family had left, and she didn't know that Hayabusa was still in the living room. He appeared in the doorway of the kitchen seconds later, making Kasumi stand up in surprise. "I let Hayate borrow my car," he said, answering the unasked question.

Kasumi nodded then glanced at a painting that was in the kitchen. "Can I get you anything?"

Hayabusa hummed for a moment, the sound making Kasumi even more nervous. "Water would be okay."

She placed her phone on the table then walked over to a cabinet. She was having trouble with reaching a cup, but another hand suddenly grabbed it and placed it on the counter. She slowly turned around to see Hayabusa, who was standing closer to Kasumi than what she thought was necessary. The thought of possibly meeting him before was beginning to bother her, so she looked at him in confusion. "Have we meet before?"

He looked down at the cup and chuckled before he met Kasumi's stare. She didn't know what he was thinking, but nothing could've prepared her for what happened next.

Hayabusa was _kissing_ her. And she was _kissing_ him back.

In a matter of seconds, Kasumi was leaning against the counter while Hayabusa had his hands on her hips and lips pressed against hers. She gasped when one hand went to her thigh, giving Hayabusa the chance to explore her mouth with his tongue. She moaned into the kiss and placed both hands on his chest. Her mind suddenly processed what was happening, and she quickly pushed Hayabusa away then moved to stand on the other side of the kitchen.

 _I can't believe I did that,_ she thought. She just ended a passionate kiss with a man she barely know, and she doesn't know what to do. Now to add insult to injury, not a single thought about Rig passed through her mind while that was happening. Guilt attacked her conscious as she realized that she enjoyed a kiss that was shared with a man who wasn't her fiancé.

"Who are you?" Kasumi questioned, her voice shaking.

"I thought you would've remembered by now," he stated. "I'm the stripper you slept with almost a week ago."

The silence that followed was too intense to describe.

Kasumi stared at him with a vacant expression. Her mind constantly repeated his words, and she had no reason to doubt that he was telling the truth. _No,_ she tried to tell herself. Now she knew why Hayabusa was familiar-his voice was the same as the man from that night.

"You told us that you're an artist," she said. "You were lying, weren't you?"

"I am an artist, but stripping helps me support myself more than my art does right now," Hayabusa explained, shrugging. "I have to make money somehow."

"I'm engaged," she whispered, staring at the ring. There were three princess-cut diamonds on the top and round diamonds that added some sparkle to the white gold band.

"I know. I saw it before you took it off that night," he recalled. He didn't seem worried in the slightest, which made Kasumi feel worse than she already did. Her guilt quickly changed into anger, and she turned around to glare at Hayabusa, who was placing a folded sheet of paper under Kasumi's phone.

"Did you not know that I was drunk? And if you knew I was engaged, why did you take advantage of the situation and sleep with me?" she shouted.

He stood there silently and waited for a moment before he answered the questions. "Yes, I knew you were drunk. However, you were the one who initiated the sex."

 _He has to be lying,_ she thought. Her anger was beginning to fade, but she still tried to deny everything Hayabusa told her. "You could be lying. If you actually are the stripper from that night, I want you to prove it."

She smiled and watched as he thought about how he could prove that he's telling the truth. Her smile faltered when Hayabusa smirked and grabbed his shirt. He swiftly removed it and turned around, giving Kasumi a view of his back. The scratches from that night were still there although they weren't as red as they used to be. She stepped closer and noticed that they also haven't completely healed.

"You believe me now," he guessed, interrupting her thoughts. He put his shirt back on and turned around. Kasumi didn't say anything and only stared at the floor, so Hayabusa sighed. He lifted her chin and smirked when she blushed.

"Hayate is outside with my car. If you ever want me, you have both my number and address on that paper. I'll be available."

With that statement, Hayabusa left. Tina entered the kitchen a couple of seconds later, talking about where her and everyone else went two hours ago. When Kasumi didn't respond, Tina tried to ask her what was wrong, but left her alone when Kasumi pulled out a gallon of ice cream. Kasumi silently picked up her items-including the note-before going to her room.

...

 **Finally, the stripper's identity has been revealed! Thanks for reading. Reviews would be great.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Old Wounds (Hayabusa)

 **There will be a few chapters that focus on Hayabusa, so I'll put his name in the chapter title. Also, I don't know anything about being a stripper, so I made that stuff up.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _It's hard being a stripper sometimes._

That was the only thought floating around in Hayabusa's mind at the moment. It's eight o'clock in the morning, and he was still in bed with a pillow covering his head. _I shouldn't have worked last night._ He just got home a couple of hours ago, and he's been trying to get some sleep for the last few was very tired, but he wasn't going to complain too much due to the amount of money he made last night. Hayabusa sighed and removed the pillow from his head. His head also felt like someone was hitting it with a stick, over and over again. _I didn't even drink that much,_ he thought.

He swiftly ran a hand through his messy hair then picked up the bottle of pain medicine that was on his bedside table. Without much hesitation, Hayabusa poured one of the pills into his hand before he put it in his mouth. Hayabusa sighed again and looked around his room. It was a master bedroom, and his large bed was placed along one of the walls. The wall on his left had a full-body painting of him wearing a tight white shirt and black pants with aviators covering his eyes, and his head was turned as if he was looking at the door. His name was also next to it, and the wall on his right had glass doors that led to a private balcony. _I'm still not done unpacking,_ he realized. He moved into this house almost two weeks ago, so he's still in the process of getting settled in. A knock on his door brought Hayabusa out of his thoughts, and he was a little surprised to see Hayate open the door.

Hayate didn't say anything while he invited himself in, pushing the curtains away from the balcony doors. Sunlight flooded the previously dark room, making Hayabusa frown and cover his eyes. "What the hell, Hayate?"

"Wake up! I want some breakfast," Hayate claimed.

"You have been here for three days. You can cook for yourself," Hayabusa mumbled, walking over to his closet. His headache wasn't going away, and he didn't need Hayate to help make it worse.

"But I'm your guest, and you can cook an omelet better than I can," he responded. Hayabusa suddenly grabbed Hayate's arm and pulled him over to the door before pushing him out of the room and locking the door. _It's too early in the morning for this,_ he silently complained. He didn't want Hayate to find another way into his room, so Hayabusa picked up his clothes and went to take a shower.

...

"I've been waiting on breakfast for an hour," Hayate declared when he saw Hayabusa.

"I told you to go cook it yourself, but I guess you wanted to annoy me for some reason."

Hayate obviously noticed Hayabusa's irritation, because he paused for a few seconds then continued. "What time did you get home?"

"A little past four," Hayabusa answered, mixing the eggs together. He found it amazing how, despite what could be considered a hangover, he could still function enough to cook. "Why?"

"You're aggravated, and being up around this time usually doesn't bother you," he explained.

"You're very observant," Hayabusa informed. He pulled two plates out of a cabinet and placed an omelet on each one. A fork was also put on each plate before one plate was given to Hayate and the other was placed on the kitchen island. Hayabusa took a moment to pour two cups of water then put them on the island and sat across from Hayate.

It was quiet while both men ate their breakfast. Hayabusa was used to it, but Hayate's unnecessary staring was beginning to bother him. After moving his empty plate aside, Hayabusa put his elbows on the table and stared back at Hayate. "Why are you staring at me?"

"I have some questions about your...night life, if I could call it that."

Hayabusa sighed and motioned for Hayate to ask his questions. He did not think that Hayate would suddenly become interested in what Hayabusa considered as his job. "How long have you been a stripper?" Hayate asked, interrupting Hayabusa's thoughts.

Hayabusa stared at the ceiling while he thought about it. "It will be five years in a few months."

"That's a long time, Ryu."

"Not really," he disagreed. Five years may seem like a lot, but that amount of time had passed quickly to Ryu. "Are you worried about your sisters and their friends knowing that your best friend is a stripper?"

"No," Hayate argued. "Honestly, I was worried about whether or not you were going to tell a group of people you just met what you do for a living. Anyway, do you ever have sex with whoever you dance for?"

Hayabusa immediately thought of Kasumi, and he had to bite his lip so he wouldn't smile. He enjoyed the night he spent with the strawberry blonde-he definitely wouldn't mind doing it again. He'll just have to wait until she decides to accept his offer. He forgot that Hayate was waiting on an answer, so Hayabusa shook his head. "Not all of them."

"So taking your clothes off in front of random women doesn't bother you?"

"No," Hayabusa answered. "I haven't seen most of those women in public, so I don't think I have anything to worry about. Besides, I'm proud of my body."

Ignoring the last statement, Hayate released a frustrated sigh. A nervous expression appeared on his face seconds later, and a feeling of dread instantly washed over Hayabusa. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Hayate spoke. "I don't think your-"

"Do _not_ mention him," Hayabusa growled. Bitter memories were beginning to rise from the dark parts of his conscience, but he quickly pushed them back to where they came from. _Not here, not now._

"I am worried about your well-being, Ryu. You could end up in some serious trouble with that kind of lifestyle."

"You have no right to mention him," he snapped. "Especially when you're unaware of how he treated me."

"He could help you," Hayate tried to explain.

"He tried to control my life, Hayate!"

"You could try to talk to him."

"No," Hayabusa snarled, lifting his cup and walking to the refrigerator. "It's been eight years since I've seen him, and I was fifteen years old then!"

"I'm just trying to make sure-"

"Stop," Hayabusa shouted, absently tightening his grip on the glass cup. It shattered in his hand, pieces of glass now stuck in his hand. He ignored his bloody hand and glared at Hayate. "I'm not one of your cases, Hayate! I appreciate the fact that you care, but I can handle myself and my problems. If I wanted to talk to him, I would have done so by now. Just leave that issue alone, okay?"

Not giving Hayate a chance to respond, Hayabusa exited the kitchen and walked to his room. He went into his large bathroom, took out a first aid kit, and sat down on the counter next to the sink. He carefully started to pull the pieces of glass out of his hand while his mind wandered back to his argument with Hayate. He didn't know why he was so angry about the situation-if anything he shouldn't be bothered by it. _I also didn't have to react the way I did,_ he admitted to no one. He wrapped his hand in gauze and returned to his dull throbbing in his head was turning into a headache, so Hayabusa closed his curtains and got back in his bed.

...

 **Thanks for reading! Reviews would be nice.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Catch Up

 **I would've updated sooner, but I had a lot of projects, and exams are coming up. I also tried to write another chapter for SBP (I didn't succeed). I did manage to plan most of this story out though.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

It's been five days since Hayate came to the city, and now Kasumi is finally able to catch up with her brother. _I wonder what he has to tell me,_ she thought. They decided to meet at a café so they wouldn't be around any 'unwanted distractions,' as Hayate put it. Kasumi shook her head and parked her car near the café. The design of the café was simple - light brown walls with hints of warm colors. A woman with short black hair that was also a darker shade of red on top looked up from the coffee she was fixing to Kasumi. She smiled and told Kasumi that she'll get her order in a few minutes. Kasumi smiled and nodded then walked over to Hayate, who was sitting in a booth that was next to the large windows.

"I was wondering when you would get here," Hayate said, putting his phone away.

"I would have been here sooner, but I woke up late," she admitted. Hayate chuckled and drank some of his coffee then continued.

"I understand. Before we catch up on everything, I want to apologize for the way Ryu was acting a couple of days ago. He moved here almost a month ago, and he's not familiar with the city yet."

Kasumi didn't say anything while she stared at her brother. They haven't even been talking for ten minutes, and Hayabusa was already mentioned. _Even when he's not here, he finds a way into the conversation._ The silence became awkward for her when she realized that Hayate doesn't know about what happened between her and Hayabusa. _If he does find out, bad things will definitely happen,_ she thought.

"It's okay, he didn't do anything wrong," Kasumi replied. Thoughts about the kiss that happened in the kitchen when she officially met Hayabusa ran through her mind, and she was having a hard time thinking about something else.

The look of surprise on Hayate's face didn't go unnoticed, and Kasumi was going to comment on it but Hayate spoke first. "That's great considering his -" he suddenly closed his mouth then shook his head and continued, "lack of social skills. Anyway, how are the plans for the wedding coming along?"

Kasumi really wanted to know what Hayate was originally going to say - her curiosity getting the best of her for a moment. _It's none of my business, but I'm worried about it._ She sighed and answered Hayate's question. "Our wedding colors are going to be white and light teal. The wedding planner already helped me pick the flowers and most of the decorations. Rig is in charge of finding the entertainment and putting a menu together. Now we have to focus on the invitations, seating arrangements, the cake, and - most importantly - the attire. After that, we'll deal with everything else."

Hayate commented on how much work that was, and Kasumi brushed it off since she was looking forward to getting married. Her mind wandered off to thoughts of Hayabusa, reminding her that she has to talk to Rig before anything else happens. _There won't be a wedding if I don't tell him._ That barista from earlier came over to their table with a small notepad and pen in her hands.

"Hey, my name is Mila. Is there anything I can get for you?" she asked. Kasumi ordered a cappuccino while Hayate asked for some doughnuts. Mila gave them a thumbs up then went to fix their orders. Kasumi took a moment to check her phone, noticing that Rig didn't respond to any of her messages or called her back. The feeling of disappointment made her heart sink and she tried not to show it.

"Well, now that we're caught up on the wedding," she paused to put her phone away, "what have you been doing, Hayate?"

Hayate rubbed an eye and stared back at Kasumi. He suddenly appeared tired and nervous, making Kasumi wonder what happened. "I've been working on a lot of cases lately," he answered, his eyes on the doughnuts that Mila had placed on the table. The siblings thanked her for their order and gave her the money for it before she disappeared again.

"So the only thing you've been doing is working?" Kasumi asked after drinking some of her cappuccino.

"Basically, but some of the cases did require traveling. I spent a month in Spain trying to find a missing child. I was also in London when my boss chose to suspend my case. Now I'm here," he informed, raising his arms. Kasumi laughed and finished her drink while Hayate ate one of his doughnuts. A serious expression quickly replaced his carefree one, reminding Kasumi of the rare times that Hayate was completely serious. _Something is wrong here._

"I have to tell you something," Hayate declared.

"Is it about what you said that you had to tell me?"

Hayate nodded and sighed, preparing himself for what he was about to tell his sister. "I can't go into too much detail, but I found some things that you might want to ask Rig about."

Although she was panicking on the inside, Kasumi appeared calm when Hayate finished his sentence. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, his name and company has been mentioned in some suspicious documents. I was going to look into it, but - like I've said before - my case was suspended."

Kasumi could _not_ believe what she was hearing right now. "There must be a mistake somewhere in what you found, Hayate. Rig isn't the kind of guy that would do things without telling me. I trust him, so maybe you should give him the benefit of the doubt."

"I know there could be a mistake, Kasumi. I just want you to be careful, and if something isn't right with him, stay away from him. I don't want you to get hurt because of his actions," he explained.

Kasumi had a hard time swallowing the lump in her throat; however, she did manage to give a response. "I'll keep that in mind. It was nice catching up with you Hayate, but Tina wanted to meet up at the mall. I'll see you later."

Hayate nodded and watched as his sister left the café. Kasumi didn't know what to do with what Hayate told her - she knew that Rig wouldn't do anything that could be dangerous. She shook her head and put on her seatbelt then started driving to the mall. She was trying to stop thinking about the conversation, but one thought kept repeating itself in her mind.

 _What if Hayate is right?_

...

 **Thanks for reading. Reviews would be awesome.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Seeking Guidance

 **Another story idea grew in my mind, but I don't think I can manage more than one story yet. Anyways...**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Kasumi, do you plan on telling us where we're going?" Hitomi asked from the passenger seat of Kasumi's car. Ayane, Tina, and Leifang soon joined in with similar questions after they discovered that they weren't the only ones confused by Kasumi's actions. Kasumi's been ignoring the confused and worried stares from her friends and sister for the past thirty minutes. She stopped at a red light for a few seconds then continued before she made a left turn. She jumped when Hitomi placed a hand on her arm and repeated her question.

"We're going to our parents' house," Kasumi answered, glancing at Ayane from the rear view mirror. Ayane turned away from the window and stared at Kasumi.

"Really? Why?"

Kasumi gave her a small smile before she thought about why she decided to bring them along. Her smile faded and - in a sad tone - she replied, "I have to tell you all something. You'll find out what it's about when we get there."

Fortunately, none of the girls decided to argue, so Kasumi relaxed and kept driving. _I'm ready to get this off my chest._ Over the past two days, she's been thinking about everything that happened these past three weeks. She realized that her problems weren't going to fix themselves, so she's going to face them. Minutes later, she parked her car outside of her parents' house, stepped out, and walked to the door. She knocked on the brown door and took a few deep breaths.

Her eyes widened when the door opened to reveal her father, Shiden, who was staring at her with the same shocked expression. He let go of the door and stepped forward to give Kasumi a brief hug then did the same thing to Ayane. Shiden invited the girls into the house before he closed the door. "I should be used to these random visits, but I guess that'll never happen. Let's go to the kitchen, your mother was baking cookies."

Ayane gasped and led the group to the kitchen although Kasumi stayed behind to put her jacket on a small table. When she entered the kitchen, Kasumi saw her mother - Ayame - standing next to Ayane with a plate of chocolate chip cookies in her hands. Kasumi smiled and opened her arms for a hug while Ayame placed the cookies on the kitchen island. Both women met each other halfway across the kitchen and hugged before Ayame leaned back to look at Kasumi. Kasumi noticed that her mother's long brown hair was in a ponytail, briefly making her understand why people said that she resembles her mother.

"It's good to see you all! But I am curious, what made you stop by?" Ayame questioned, turning to see everyone.

"I need some advice," Kasumi stated. She knew there was no reason to keep her friends, sister, and mother in the dark anymore, so telling them now seemed better than not telling them at all. _Like they say, now or never._

"This sounds like 'girl talk' to me, so I think I should leave for now. But some of these cookies have to come with me," Shiden declared. He placed some of the cookies in a bowl and kissed his wife before he left. Ayame shook her head and motioned for the girls to follow her into the living room.

"What can we help you with, Kasumi?" Ayame asked. Kasumi hummed while she thought about where she should start. There were many things they didn't know, so it might be for the best if she started from the beginning.

"Mom, three weeks ago there was an impromptu bachelorette party, and Tina - being the good friend that she is - hired a male stripper as entertainment," she began. There was a confused expression on Ayame's face, so Kasumi took a deep breath and continued. "I must have drank more than I should have, because I woke up in bed with the stripper the next morning. The only part of him I actually saw before he left was his back, which had a lot of scratches."

Seconds passed before her mother's expression changed from confusion to shock. Kasumi bit her lip when her mother tilted her head and asked another question. "You don't know who the man is, do you?"

"Kasumi, I still have the guy's number if you need to know who he is," Tina joined in.

"Please don't call him," she pleaded, shaking her head. Telling them this is already hard - the last thing she needed was _him_ making it worse.

"Well, how are we supposed to figure out who this man is if you don't want her to call him?" Ayane questioned.

The other girls started saying similar things, and the only thing Kasumi could do was place her head in her hands. She was hurt by the fact that they all wanted to call him, especially since her mother didn't see anything wrong with that idea. Unable to deal with it anymore, Kasumi stood up and shouted, "I already know who the man is!"

Silence claimed the room as each girl took a moment to process what Kasumi said. It was broken by Hitomi a few minutes after Kasumi sat back down. "What's his name?"

"Remember Hayate's best friend who we met around two weeks ago?" she asked.

"I can't remember his name, but the artist?" Leifang implored. Kasumi stared down at her hands, but no one missed her nod in response. "Him?"

"No way, he's too adorable for that kind of life," Tina exclaimed. Kasumi turned to her with a look of disbelief before her attention was directed to the small photo album Ayame was going through.

"Here," she said, placing it on the table so everyone else can see it. She pointed to a picture that appeared to be a couple of years old. In it, Hayate had a cup in one hand while his other arm was around another man's shoulders - both of them with happy expressions. Ayame shifted her finger over to the other man and continued. "Just to make sure, this is the man you're talking about?"

"He's looks a little older now, but that's him," Kasumi confirmed. Tina gasped while Ayame closed the photo album.

"Ryu Hayabusa," Ayame said to herself. She stood up to put the photo album on the shelf and sat back down. "I haven't seen him since he and Hayate had graduated from college."

"Wow! If that's what he looked like years ago, he's an Adonis right now," Tina informed.

"Tina!" Kasumi called. She was blushing although she didn't know if it was from embarrassment or the image of Hayabusa that came to her mind when Tina spoke. "Now is not the time for that!"

"I'm sorry, Kasumi. Anyway, back to the problem. How did you find out?"

"When did you find out?" Ayame joined in.

"Where did he tell you?" Leifang added.

"I found out the same day we met him. I went to the kitchen during the conversation to think about why he seemed familiar. You all left, but apparently Hayabusa didn't go since he came into the kitchen and told me that he let Hayate borrow his car. That sense of familiarity was bothering me, so I asked him if we've met before. He started acting weird before he kissed me."

"Wait," Ayane exclaimed, holding her hands up. "He kissed you?"

"Yes, but the worst part is that I didn't end the kiss until I realized what was happening. He told me about being the stripper after I demanded to know who he was. I told him to prove it and that's when he showed me his back," she paused, but forced herself to continue after a few seconds. "Those scratches were in same spots that I remembered and weren't completely healed."

"Does he know that you're engaged?" Tina asked, glancing at Kasumi's engagement ring.

"He does although it didn't really affect him. He even gave me his number and address in case I ever wanted him again."

"Oh my gosh," Hitomi mumbled. "Does Hayate know about this?"

"Screw whatever the hell Hayate knows," Ayane interrupted. "Does Rig know?"

Kasumi tried to take a deep breath, but it sounded like she was holding back sobs. "N-No! It's been three weeks since I've seen him, now it seems as if he disappeared off the face of the earth. I called and texted him. I also called his office, but the only thing his secretary tells me is that he's busy. This _h-hurts_ , because I really need to tell him what I've done and there are some things about the wedding that we need to discuss. Everytime I look at this ring, I'm reminded of my mistake and how I failed him before we're even married. Oh my - what if Rig already knows? The wedding could be canceled right now and I wouldn't know!"

She didn't notice her tears until she finished speaking, and tried to wipe them away although they were replaced by more. Now that she's said everything aloud, Kasumi knew that it was going to take a lot of time and effort to fix her mistake once she tells Rig - if he's willing to give her another chance. Ayame moved to sit next to Kasumi then pulled her into a hug.

"Kasumi, I can't say that everything will be okay," she whispered, "but you should calm down. It's not over yet, because none of us know how Rig is going to react."

Kasumi wiped her eyes again then looked at her mother. "You're right, but there's another problem."

"You can tell us, Kasumi. We'll try our best to help you," Hitomi said, placing a hand on Kasumi's shoulder. The rest of the girls quickly agreed, waiting for Kasumi to tell them about the other problem.

"Last week, Hayate and I met up at a café to talk about what we've been doing lately. Later, he told me that Rig's name was mentioned in some suspicious documents. He said he couldn't explain what he saw, but he thinks I should ask Rig about it," Kasumi stated. "What should I do about all of this?"

"First, you need to shut everything down with Stripper of the Year," Tina suggested. She took a few seconds to look at everyone's confused and slightly amused expressions. "What?"

"Is that what we're going to call him?" Leifang asked, trying not to smile.

"That's a perfect name for him," she claimed before her attention returned to her possible solution. "Kasumi, you need to tell him that no matter what, you will not have sex with him again. He may be very attractive and the subject of a lot of dirty thoughts-"

"Tina," Kasumi called, rubbing her temples.

"Sorry again," she responded. "I'm sure you get my point."

Kasumi nodded and glanced at her engagement ring. "Okay. What about Rig?"

"Go to his job," Ayame stated as if it was that simple.

"Yeah," Ayane agreed. "I don't think a company like Donovan Industries can be that busy. He could be lying about whatever he's doing."

"And Kasumi," Ayame continued, "you know Hayate doesn't purposely dig up information on people. If you think those documents are something to worry about, maybe you should ask him about it."

The conversation was interrupted by Kasumi's phone. _That's weird_ , she thought while she stared at the text message from Hayate that basically told her to put her phone on speaker when he called. She didn't understand his logic behind the message, but it's not like she had any time to think about it since her phone started ringing.

"Hello," she greeted after she answered the phone.

 _"Hey,"_ Hayate greeted. He was quiet for a moment, and the girls could clearly hear someone cursing in the background. _"Dad told me that you and the girls were with Mom, so I wanted to tell you all at the same time that-"_

A loud noise suddenly came from the phone with more curses following it. Kasumi raised an eyebrow and spoke. "What is going on, Hayate?"

 _"I'm at Eliot's house with him, Jann Lee and...okay, Ryu was here, but I think he left after he found out what happened to his car. Anyway, Jann Lee needed our help with planning a bachelor party for Rig. After a lot of pointless arguing, I decided to call and tell you that none of us will be available for at least a week. I don't know what we're doing, but it shouldn't last longer than that."_

"I hope none of you plan on doing anything dangerous or stupid," Ayame commented.

Hayate laughed although it sounded unusual because of the phone. _"We won't, Mom. Eliot is coming with us, so he'll make sure things don't get out of control. I need to go pack, so I'll talk to you all in a week."_

"Call one of us if you need anything," Kasumi replied. She ended the call after he agreed to her statement and placed the phone back in her pocket. She looked up at the group and sighed. "My plans are always getting postponed at some point."

"He didn't really say that Stripper of the Year was going with them, so you still might be able to talk to him," Hitomi noted. "If he does go, that will give you some time to think about what you want to say to him."

"Good point, Hitomi. I could also think about what I'll tell Rig. But right now, I don't want to stress myself out anymore today. I think it'll be good for us if we have a movie night," Kasumi declared. The others quickly agreed and went to prepare for their movie night.

...

 **I couldn't come up with a better way to end it, but this chapter is necessary for the next one. Thanks for reading! Reviews would be great.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Planes, History, and Alcohol (Hayabusa)

 **Long chapter, because I didn't want to split it.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Why am I here, Hayate?" Hayabusa asked. He was sitting in the passenger seat of Hayate's Lexus, glaring at nothing and everything at the same time. Hayate looked at Hayabusa before he focused on the road again.

"You spend too much time at home! The only time you leave is to buy stuff and go to your stripper job. You need to get out and do something," Hayate claimed.

Hayabusa knew that Hayate was smart, but he couldn't understand his logic sometimes. He sighed and said, "There's no point in arguing about this, so I'll just go with it. Where are we going? You bought plane tickets, yet you refuse to tell me anything."

It didn't take long for Hayabusa to realize that Hayate was purposely ignoring him by trying to sing along to whatever was playing on the radio. Hayate was hiding something and Hayabusa's patience was beginning to fade, so he turned the radio off. "Tell me," Hayabusa demanded.

"Los Angeles," Hayate confided after a few minutes. A look of disbelief appeared on Hayabusa's face before it turned into a frown.

"Are you serious?" he asked. Hayate didn't say anything, so Hayabusa took that as a sign to keep talking. "I just moved from there!"

"It's only a trip-"

"Screw that," Hayabusa growled. "Stop here so I can go home."

"You have a lot of problems, Ryu," Hayate said, shaking his head. Hayabusa didn't reply while he turned to stare out of the window.

Hayate basically stated the obvious, so Hayabusa didn't spend any time on those thoughts. He absently touched his right shoulder - feeling for a familiar scar - before he put his hand back down. He didn't want to go through the trouble of telling Hayate what happened, so he'll deal with his problems on his own.

"You're right. Don't worry about it," he commented when the car was parked a short distance from the airport. He silently took his boarding pass from Hayate and ignored his attempts to get an explanation. Hayabusa didn't want to go to Los Angeles, even if it was for a few days - he had cut his ties with the city before he moved for a reason.

It didn't take long for them to get through security, even if Hayabusa had to be searched by a handheld metal detector twice. Hayate claimed it was because the female attendants wanted to touch him without crossing the line of sexual harassment, but he dropped it when Hayabusa glared at him. After they made it to the terminal, a figure ran into Hayate, forcing Hayabusa to step back. He realized the person who ran into Hayate was the same idiot that hit his car, Jann Lee.

Hayabusa sighed and greeted Eliot before his eyes shifted to the man next to him. He had a large muscular build and a buzz cut; he also appeared to be a few inches taller than Hayabusa. _He must be Kasumi's fiancé_ , Hayabusa thought. _I'm not impressed._ The man lifted his head and stared at Hayabusa then stood up. "You're Ryu Hayabusa," he stated in an awed tone. "Wow. I'm a fan of your art. Anyway, my name is Rig."

"Nice to meet you," Hayabusa replied, shaking Rig's hand. _I can't say what I want to say_ , he thought while he listened to Rig talk about an art show from a few months ago. He's just standing there, talking to the man who is engaged to the woman that he had sex with after her bachelorette party - at least Hayabusa isn't making that fact obvious. Jann Lee suddenly appeared next to Rig and interrupted the conversation.

"You're last name is Hayabusa, as in the family behind H. Enterprises?" he asked. He shook his head before Hayabusa could say anything. "Of course it is. I guess you have to make sure everyone you meet knows who you are, otherwise it wouldn't mean a damn thing when you take over the company, right? Or are you already in charge and just focusing on your little art hobby?"

Hayabusa glared at Jann Lee and hissed, "Shut the hell up, you stupid bitch-"

"Guys, let's stop this before it goes too far," Eliot tried to reason although no one listened to him. Hayate grabbed Hayabusa, who was still cursing and attracting a small crowd, then dragged him away. Hayabusa was done cursing by the time Hayate stopped walking, so he turned around to face Hayate.

"Talk to me, Ryu," Hayate worriedly stated while he leaned against the wall. Hayabusa started pacing and tried to calm down, but his anger was too distracting and he really wanted to hit something.

"I hate when people assume that I'm going to take over H. Enterprises because I'm the son of the current CEO," Hayabusa suddenly declared. "When I tell them that I don't plan on doing that, they give me a look that fucking _screams_ disappointment and talk as if I just lost someone important to me."

"Their expectations were too high, I'm guessing?"

"Yes," he answered. "The worse thing about it is that my dad thought the same thing. I tried to tell him, but either he had a meeting to go to, or someone was trying to teach me how to run a damn business when I came home from school," he snorted, "that plan failed since I didn't listen and focused on my art instead. If we did have some free time, I didn't exist until I mentioned something about the company. I hated doing that, so I avoided it."

"Everything was about work at some point?" After Hayabusa nodded, Hayate asked another question. "How did you manage to tell him how you felt?"

Hayabusa sighed and closed his eyes for a moment then opened them again. He knew Hayate was waiting on him to say something although any thoughts about that argument would make his mood worse. "I don't remember how the argument started, but I said stuff along the lines of 'I don't want anything to do with H. Enterprises, screw you, and I'm moving out.' I moved in with Momiji and her parents a few days later. I haven't talked to my dad since then."

Hayate shook his head and spoke, "I'm beginning to understand why you don't want to talk to him. But why do you let people call you by your last name?"

"I'm used to it and since I can't change my last name, I want it to be known for something besides that company," he replied. The announcement for first class passengers to begin boarding the plane had filled the brief silence before Hayabusa continued. "Thanks for listening, Hayate. Now you know more about my dramatic life."

"You're welcome. Besides, someone has to make sure you don't get in trouble at an airport," he claimed. They walked over to Eliot, who was standing next to three carry-on bags and waiting for them. As Hayabusa grabbed his bag and walked towards the gate, he heard Eliot tell Hayate about whatever Rig shouted at Jann Lee when they left. He was exhausted, but at least his anger went back to where it usually is until it's needed.

He has about three hours to get some rest, and he knows that he'll need it.

...

The flight went smoothly even if Hayabusa had to force himself to listen to Jann Lee's awkward apology. After they gathered their belongings and left the airport, Hayate led the group over to a red car then threw the keys to Hayabusa, who raised an eyebrow at him. "You know L.A. better than us, so you should drive to the hotel," Hayate said.

Hayabusa cursed and mumbled something after he put his bag in the trunk. The others did the same and got in the car before Hayabusa started driving away from the airport. "What hotel are we going to?"

"I forgot to make the reservations," Jann Lee admitted. Hayate had reached over to hit Jann Lee in the head. Rig, who was caught in the middle of the fight, tried to push them apart although he joined the fight a few minutes later. They were grown men acting like a couple of eight-year-old boys; Hayabusa didn't want to be associated with them if they always acted like that. He quickly stopped the car, making the other men close their eyes and scream.

"Did you hit someone? Oh my God, we're going to jail. I can't go to jail," Rig declared. The others quickly agreed and continued to panic while Hayabusa moved the car over to the side of the road.

"I didn't hit anyone, dumbass. If you all weren't fighting like children, I wouldn't have decided to scare the hell out of you," Hayabusa explained, returning Rig's glare with one of his own. Fortunately, Eliot already made the hotel reservations and told Hayabusa where it was while the others tried to hide their embarrassment.

The hotel was large and nicely decorated with paintings and furniture that would make anyone feel as if they're in a movie. The woman at the front desk greeted the men with a smile and gave each the key to his room. Hayabusa's room was on the sixth floor and larger than he expected, but it didn't matter since he wasn't going to spend much time there. He dropped his bag then removed his shoes before he stepped onto the balcony and leaned against the railings.

 _I miss Los Angeles_ , he thought. The city was one of his favorites since he lived there for two years after he graduated college. It was peaceful until someone shot him while he was in a large crowd, so he was forced to move out of his apartment before buying a house in Seattle. He sighed and stared at the sky while the sun was beginning to set. The lights from the city blended with the stars half an hour later, forming the kind of image that Hayabusa wished he could capture by putting paint on a canvas.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when a black van had parked away from the other vehicles. Rig stepped out of the hotel a few minutes later and walked over to it, where a man with blond hair and a woman with white hair suddenly got out. Hayabusa knew this wasn't any of his business, but he was curious. The man opened the back of the van and grabbed a box before he placed it on the ground. Hayabusa's eyes widened when Rig pulled out a glass vial that was filled with an orange liquid. From his position on the balcony, he could see more vials inside the box along with more boxes in the van. _What the hell?_

Rig nodded then gave a yellow envelope to the man, who quickly returned to the front of the van. It looked like Rig was going back to the hotel, but the woman stopped him by placing a hand on his arm. With a smirk, Rig turned and gave her a lot of cash then smiled when she kissed him on his cheek. _Now I have more reasons to dislike him,_ Hayabusa thought while he went back into his room. He doesn't know what the vials are for and doesn't have time to figure it out since he's supposed to be in the lobby soon. _I'll mention it to Hayate when I get a chance,_ he decided.

After a shower, Hayabusa was wearing a graphic sweatshirt with black pants and shoes. He made sure that his phone, wallet, and hotel key were in his pockets before leaving the room. Hayate and Eliot were already in the lobby, so he walked over to them. "Where are the other two?"

"I don't know about Rig, but Jann went back to his room for his wallet," Hayate answered. Hayabusa was going to mention what he saw Rig doing, but decided against it when Eliot looked over to Jann Lee, who was being followed by Rig. Hayabusa frowned and pushed any thoughts about it to the back of his mind. They left the hotel and was walking to the car before Jann Lee stopped the group.

"We're here because of the fact that this guy," he paused to throw an arm around Rig's shoulders, "is getting married in three months. As the Best Man, I've decided that we're going to celebrate by doing something that he loves to do whenever he can. We're going to drink as much as we can before the night is over!"

"That sounds fun," Rig said. Hayabusa rolled his eyes, taking the keys from Eliot and getting in the car. Jann Lee smiled and threw a hand in the air.

"Yes! Now, let's go get drunk!"

...

 _Where am I?_ Hayabusa asked himself as soon as he opened his eyes. He was staring at the ceiling of an unknown room, the bright lights forcing him to close his eyes again. Sighing, Hayabusa rolled over and grabbed the edge of whatever he was laying on so he wouldn't fall off of it. He opened his eyes and saw that he was on top of a bar counter then pushed himself up when he heard someone groaning. The bar was a complete mess, but he easily recognized Hayate on the nearby table.

"I can't feel half of my face," Hayate complained from his spot. Hayabusa noticed a red bruise on the left side of his friend's face and pointed to it.

"At least you're not seeing sounds like I am," he commented while he got off the counter. He cursed when he landed on the floor and slowly stood back up to lean against the counter. Someone's hand was moving around on the floor, so he roughly kicked it then frowned at the loud shout of pain. Rig's eyes peered over the edge of the counter seconds later, staring at Hayabusa before they shifted to something behind him.

While Hayate got off the table and Rig picked himself up, Hayabusa turned to see Jann Lee standing next to him and covered in glitter. Jann Lee simply shook his head then stated, "You're shirt is missing."

Hayabusa looked down and noticed he was wearing some footie pajamas that had the Batman symbol on them with the sleeves tied around his hips and - like Jann Lee mentioned - without a shirt. He ignored Rig's stupid jokes and searched for his phone, wallet, and hotel key before he found them - along with someone's credit card - in the pockets of the pajamas. He had no idea where his clothes and shoes were, but at least he was wearing something. "Keep making jokes in order to hide how much you're jealous of my body," Hayabusa declared, effectively silencing Rig. "What did we do last night? Wait, where is Eliot?"

"He's being held by security at the casino that's next to this bar," Hayate answered, holding up his phone. "He claims the guard won't tell him why he's there, so we should go get him."

The others nodded and followed Hayate out of the bar. There were a few people still in the casino, smiling and telling the group about how fun the party was. Hayabusa didn't know what they were talking about, but he did notice the woman who was wearing his sweatshirt. _I don't need it_ , he told himself while watching the random people walk away. Minutes later, they were standing in the security department, where Eliot was in one of the large holding cells. He sighed and said, "Finally! Get me out of here, so we can get back to L.A.!"

"What?" Jann Lee asked. Eliot sighed again and wrapped his hands around the bars of the cell.

"Okay, listen. At the bar in L.A., Rig was challenged to a drinking contest and won, but we got kicked out because he got into a fight with the loser and his friends. At the second bar, Jann and Hayate started drinking and doing stupid stuff before Hayate suggested that we go to Las Vegas," he informed. "I don't know what was wrong with Hayabusa at the time, but he quickly agreed and decided to drive. I bought drinks for the ride then we went to another bar when we got here. Some people had followed us to this casino and that's when things went crazy. Hayate started arresting people, Jann tried to cover his body in glitter, and Hayabusa took over a bar and made drinks for everyone before he bought those pajamas from the gift shop. I still don't know why I'm in here!"

It was quiet while each man took a moment to understand what Eliot said. A nearby door was opened by a tall security guard, who closed the door and stared at them for a few seconds. He cleared his throat then asked, "I-I'm guessing you're here to get him?"

"Yes, they are. Now let me out," Eliot demanded, pushing against the bars.

"Sorry, but you were cheating at a couple of poker tables and refused to leave when you were asked to. You can't leave yet," the man said. Jann Lee and Rig tried to find a way to get Eliot out, but the man insisted that he couldn't let him go. Hayate kept watching the man before he placed a hand on Hayabusa's shoulder and pushed him forward. The man stepped back to the door, making Hayabusa turned around with a look of confusion. Hayate was giving him a thumbs up, so Hayabusa turned to the guard.

"Excuse me," Hayabusa began after a moment of hesitation. "I apologize for my friend here, but I'm sure he didn't mean to cause any trouble. We were celebrating something and it kind of turned into a rough night. Hell, I don't even know why I'm dressed like this," he explained, gesturing to himself. The man looked down at his chest then glanced away, mumbling something about a possible mistake.

"If you let him go, we won't tell anyone and you won't get in trouble," Hayabusa continued, shifting his weight to one leg. The flustered guard quickly threw the keys to Hayabusa and left, the door slamming behind him.

"I can't believe that worked, Hayate," Jann Lee declared. Hayabusa quietly walked over and unlocked the cell, ignoring Eliot's words of gratitude. He stopped when he thought about what Jann Lee said, the key falling from his hand. _That guard was attracted to me_ , he realized. Guilt and anger were beginning to overwhelm his senses, making him wonder when did it become so easy for him to make bad decisions and how did he not know that he was simply a part of Hayate's plan. Hayate placed his hand on Hayabusa's shoulder, but Hayabusa turned around and punched him in his jaw.

"Don't touch me. Let's go," he ordered, walking to the door.

"Imagine how many women he could get to sleep with him," Rig said to Jann Lee. Hayabusa stopped and turned to face Rig, a sardonic expression on his face.

"Be careful. You might know one of those women."

...

 **This chapter would've started during the actual party, but then I wouldn't have been able to add the important parts. Thanks for reading! Reviews would be nice.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Unwanted Confrontations

 **I would have updated sooner, but my senior year of high school started and I have a lot of things to keep up with. Updates will be slow even though it's not like I was updating every week in the first place. Now…**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

It was almost 3:30 p.m. when Kasumi decided to visit her brother. Ayane told her that the boys came back to Seattle four days ago, yet Kasumi hasn't talked to Hayate since the phone call before the trip. She knew her brother could handle himself, but she was slightly worried about not talking to him lately. _I will feel better after I talk to him,_ Kasumi thought. There's another reason for why she's driving to Hayabusa's house right now, but Kasumi's main focus is finding Hayate.

Minutes later, Kasumi parked her car next to a black Mercedes in the driveway and stared at Hayabusa's house. Hayate's car wasn't there either although he could be in the house so she decided not to leave yet. _I'm pretty sure Hayabusa is here,_ she thought while she removed her seatbelt. Kasumi didn't like the possibility of running into him since she still doesn't know what to say about what happened between them. She has been thinking about him lately, but she's not going to let that get in the way of what she's doing now. _I'm only here for Hayate,_ she told herself. She got out of her car and walked towards the two-story house. After closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she lifted a hand to knock on the maroon door.

The door opened before her hand could touch it, making her yelp and step back in surprise. She started to panic when she lost her balance then closed her eyes to brace herself for the fall. Someone caught her though, saving her from the embarrassment and pain of falling. The hands around her arms felt rough although they held her arms gently, and she could feel the person gazing at her. After a few seconds, Kasumi opened her eyes to stare back at Hayabusa, who was wearing a white Oxford shirt with black Bermuda shorts. He raised an eyebrow and removed his hands before he spoke.

"Kasumi, I'm sorry! My neighbor, Mrs. Adams, had called me and said someone had been sitting outside of my house for a while, so I came to check it out. I didn't mean to run into you like that. Are you okay?" he asked, moving forward to wave at his neighbor. Kasumi turned and saw a woman - who looked like she was in her early forties - watering her flowers and waving to Hayabusa.

"I'm okay, just a little surprised," she answered, facing him again. She noticed the specks of blue paint on his hands and shirt, which really drew attention to his body now that she's staring at it. _Stop it,_ she thought while shaking her head. "Is Hayate here?"

"I've been in my art studio since last night, so I haven't seen him. Come in, I'll go see if he's here," he replied, walking into his house. Kasumi quietly followed him, trying to ignore her nervousness. Hayabusa disappeared into another part of his house, leaving Kasumi in the living room. Two large single-hung windows were placed on either side of the door and were covered by green window blinds. A black bookshelf nearly filled with books and photographs was against the wall on Kasumi's right side, next to a set of slider windows.

A black couch with two yellow pillows was facing the large television and two black loveseats were facing each other on either side of the couch. There was also two black end tables in the corners that the couch and loveseats had formed along with a glass coffee table in front of them. _Oh my,_ Kasumi thought when she turned to look at the wall on her left side. The other walls were painted white, but this wall was turned into a mural of the Temple of the Golden Pavilion. All of the furniture and decorations complimented the mural, leaving Kasumi stunned by both the design and Hayabusa's artistic talent. _It seems so real._

"Hayate isn't here and he isn't answering his phone," Hayabusa said, stopping at the end of the stairs. Kasumi watched as he put on a pair of shoes and grabbed the keys that were on the coffee table before walking to her. "We might be able to find him if we go to some of the places he likes to visit."

"No! Wait!" Kasumi nearly shouted, wrapping her hands around his arm. She could feel his muscles tense for a second before they relaxed in her grip. She looked away nervously, trying to hide the red glow that came over her face. If Hayabusa was surprised by her sudden outburst he didn't show it, which she was secretly thankful for.

"Why? I thought you were searching for him," Hayabusa stated, turning to stare at Kasumi. It felt as if his eyes were reading her like a book, but that didn't stop her from slowly releasing his arm and lightly dragging her fingers along it. She shook her head and reminded herself about why she came here. Hayabusa was being a dangerous distraction and Kasumi couldn't understand how he's gaining all of her attention without even trying to. Memories of their kiss in the kitchen have been replaying in her mind for a while - sometimes she could still feel his hands on her hips. Simply put, he's been the center of most of her thoughts, making her question her feelings towards him. _I don't know why I've been thinking about Hayabusa lately._

"I've been thinking about you, too. That doesn't explain why I shouldn't help you find Hayate though," Hayabusa suddenly declared, smirking. His statement made Kasumi realize she had said that thought aloud, making her blush from embarrassment. He yawned and lifted his arms to stretch, unknowingly giving Kasumi a great view when his shirt rose a little.

Kasumi sighed and looked away from Hayabusa again. She was frustrated by how she was acting around him, especially when it's like he isn't aware of how seductive his actions look. She closed her eyes for a moment then opened them and met his vibrant green eyes. "Weren't you in the middle of painting something before you opened the door?"

"Not really. I'd rather help you since it's unusual for Hayate to disappear like this," he answered, shifting his weight to his other foot. She silently watched as he prowled around his living room, wondering if he was feeling as restless as she was. Kasumi couldn't tear her eyes away from him and didn't stop herself from briefly wondering what it's like to watch him strip since she still didn't remember the last time he did. _Why am I thinking about him like this? I need to leave._

"Thank you, Hayabusa, but I have to leave," Kasumi nervously claimed, walking to the door. She didn't know where Hayabusa was standing, but it doesn't matter since she needs to leave before he makes some type of move. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side today, because Hayabusa's hand suddenly appeared against the door, keeping it closed. Kasumi didn't dare to turn around although she knew Hayabusa was standing close.

"You don't want me to help you and I doubt if you're going to tell me why," Hayabusa observed, barely heard over the sound of Kasumi's erratic heart beat. She turned around to face him and could feel his outstretched arm slightly brush against her face. That brief moment of skin to skin contact along with Hayabusa's intense stare and her mixed feelings about him easily pushed her over the edge.

Kasumi grabbed the collar of Hayabusa's shirt and pulled him to her. He easily took control of the kiss and pulled her closer, but that didn't break Kasumi's concentration on his shirt. She finally unbuttoned the annoying thing, focusing back on his lips while her hands pulled the shirt off his arms. His hands felt like they were everywhere, so she decided to familiarize herself with his chest in order to return the favor. His name gracefully slipped past her lips when Hayabusa shifted to kiss her neck while she tilted her head back before his lips covered hers again. After a few minutes of giving in to her desires, Kasumi pushed Hayabusa away then leaned against the door.

"I have never been this confused before," Hayabusa confessed, his voice huskier than it usually is. He shifted his weight again and stared at Kasumi, ignoring his shirt on the floor. His eyes showed the same feeling of desire that Kasumi had felt moments ago, so she had to stop looking at him before she forced herself to speak.

"I can't keep making bad decisions, Hayabusa. I need to go see my fiancé," she whispered, opening the door. Hayabusa didn't say anything and she was glad he didn't try to stop her. She quickly got in her car and took a moment to think about her actions. She felt ashamed of herself for kissing Hayabusa, worried about Rig cancelling their wedding and scared because she isn't sure about her feelings towards Hayabusa. _I need to figure this out before anything else happens,_ she realized. She started to drive to Donovan Industries, where her fiancé was the CEO.

Her hands were shaking although she tried to calm herself down before she walked into the twelve-story building. She didn't stop to look around the large building, walking directly to the nearest elevator. After pressing the button for the tenth floor, Kasumi looked around and found someone's wallet in the corner of the elevator. She picked it up along with the picture that was laying under it. _This is Rig's wallet_ , Kasumi thought when she saw the picture of her and Rig from when they had went to a festival. She placed both the picture and wallet in her pocket then exited the elevator. _I can do this,_ Kasumi told herself while she approached Rig's secretary.

"Hello, Kasumi," a woman with long, black hair and gray eyes greeted.

"Hello, Kokoro. Is Rig still in his office?" Kasumi asked, getting to the point.

"He just came from a meeting, but he has another one coming up in a few minutes. There's a chance he's in his office right now," Kokoro answered. Kasumi quickly thanked her and walked down the hallway towards Rig's office. _Why was I so nervous before?_ Kasumi knocked on the door and waited for a response, but Rig didn't say anything. She heard something fall to the floor, so Kasumi grabbed the door handle and opened the door.

"Rig? I –" she started, but quickly stopped as her mind went blank. There were papers and other small objects scattered on the floor although that wasn't what Kasumi was staring at. Rig was sitting in his office chair with a surprised looked on his face and a white-haired woman was sitting on his desk with her legs on either side of Rig and her shirt slightly unbuttoned. He instantly pushed the woman away and stood up to walk to Kasumi, who backed away from him. Kasumi tried to say something, but she thought about it before she turned and walked away.

"Kasumi, wait! We need to talk," Rig said, catching up to Kasumi. He grabbed her arm and managed to lead her into a smaller office before she pushed his hand away from her.

"That's exactly why I came here! I just didn't think about the chance of interrupting your affair with that woman," she exclaimed. Kasumi knew it was wrong to accuse him of cheating when _she_ was the one who probably cheated first, but things took a turn for the worse when Rig didn't say anything. Silence hung in the air while Kasumi waited for Rig to say something – to tell her that she's _wrong_ – although nothing changed.

"If you're not going to say anything, I don't have any reason to stay here! You can find me when you're ready to tell me about that woman and what you were doing with her then I'll tell you why I came here," she shouted, opening the door and slamming it behind her. She rushed past Kokoro, who was trying to ask if Kasumi was okay. _Of course I'm not okay,_ she thought. She wiped her tears away when she stepped into the elevator, refusing to let her emotions get the best of her when she needs to think about what she's going to do now.

While she was driving home, Kasumi noticed a bar that was already open. _It's already eight and I don't mind having a few drinks by myself_ , she thought while parking near the bar. She showed the security guard her I.D. before he nodded and stepped aside to let her in. The inside of the bar was a little dark with loud music, flashing neon lights and people dancing. Kasumi easily made her way over to the counter and sat down. The bartender was a man who had long white hair in a low ponytail. He turned to face Kasumi before he smiled at her.

"My name is Brad. What kind of beverage would a beautiful woman such as yourself want to drink tonight?" he asked, winking at her.

"Surprise me; just don't make it too strong," she answered truthfully. Brad nodded and went to make the drink, leaving Kasumi to her thoughts. _I'm so confused and angry, but I don't know if I'm angry with Rig or myself! I never thought he would be that kind of person. It's not like I would ever find out since he didn't bother to explain anything. My relationship is already falling apart._ Kasumi thanked Brad for her drink before she raised it to her lips. She finished it sooner than she expected to, so she ordered another one and glanced at her phone. _I wonder why Ayane called me so many times_ , Kasumi thought although she didn't make any move to call her sister back.

Two drinks quickly turned into six before Kasumi decided to leave the bar. She called a taxi to take her home since she knew she wasn't in a good shape to drive. Her thoughts were all over the place, so she told the driver to take her to the first address she thought of. She couldn't remember whose house she was going to, but she's sure that the person wouldn't mind a random visit.

…

 **What could be a good last name for Kasumi, Hayate, and Ayane? I can't think of any and I would love to see your ideas. Thanks for reading! Reviews would be nice!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Another Risk on the List (Hayabusa)

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

After Kasumi pushed him away again, Hayabusa went to take a shower and get dressed before he had to leave for his night job. He doesn't want to go although his boss, Sarah, has been getting on his case about his absence and his somewhat personal bodyguard, Zack, might lose his mind if Hayabusa didn't show up once in a while. He's frustrated because Kasumi left with a reason that he really didn't understand – or cared about if he was being honest with himself. He has no idea why she kissed him before claiming that she needed to talk to her fiancé, but it might have been for the best that she left before they did more than kiss each other. _She doesn't know what she wants,_ he told himself while he put on a black shirt. He shook his head and put his shoulder length hair into a ponytail then put his aviators on before leaving his bedroom. Hayabusa always keeps a pair of aviators with him whenever he leaves his home – he likes to avoid making eye contact with strangers since they often tried to force him to maintain the eye contact whenever it accidentally happened.

He was drinking some coffee in his kitchen when the sound of thunder reached his ears. He turned to face the wall behind him and looked at the clock, which said that it was almost nine. _I guess it's time for me to leave,_ Hayabusa thought while he put his phone in his pocket. He picked up an umbrella before he opened the door and left his house. While he was walking to his car, Hayabusa saw a figure standing next to it. He was curious about who the person standing in the rain could be although it changed to surprise when he noticed the strawberry blonde hair.

"Kasumi? What are you doing here?"

She quickly turned around and stared at Hayabusa, making him wonder if she was aware of the rain. He didn't have much time to think about it since she suddenly wrapped her arms around him and placed her head on his chest, forcing him to let go of the umbrella. Hayabusa worriedly called her name again before he decided to help her into his house. They both were wet due to the rain and Hayabusa wanted to change clothes although it seemed like Kasumi didn't want to let go of him yet. He placed his hands on her shoulders and asked, "Is something wrong, Kasumi?"

"Hayabusa," she called before laughing. She lifted her head and placed a brief kiss on his lips before she continued. "I've missed you _so much._ You just don't understand."

Hayabusa didn't say or do anything while Kasumi started kissing along his jawline. _She's been drinking,_ he guessed after he smelled the alcohol on her breath. That was the only idea that explained why she's acting different from how she was earlier. He removed her hands from his shoulders and spoke, "How many drinks did you have tonight?"

"Enough to celebrate the fact that I'm not engaged anymore," she happily answered. Hayabusa watched as she lifted her hand, took off the engagement ring, and threw it somewhere. He heard the sound of it hitting a wall, but he was busy trying to figure out if she was serious or the alcohol was making her say that. Kasumi was quiet for a second before she sneezed, so Hayabusa grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the stairs.

"Let's find some warm clothes for you to put on. What the hell happened between you and your fiancé anyway?" He doesn't like Rig – that man is suspicious – but something must have happened for Kasumi to go drinking by herself and end up outside his house. _It doesn't make sense,_ Hayabusa reasoned. He had a couple of ideas in mind, yet he couldn't focus on them since Kasumi kept pulling on his shirt.

"He is my ex-fiancé! It doesn't matter anyway, because I've been thinking about you more than anything else. Oh my God, you don't understand why you're always on my mind. I honestly don't know either, but your body along with your _eyes_ and the way you _stare_ at me just makes me wonder if I should prepare for the moment when my heart jumps out my chest. I couldn't handle it earlier, Hayabusa, so I had to kiss you in order to make sure that you're real. Trust me, you are," Kasumi revealed, stumbling over a few of her words.

"Umm...that was very poetic, Kasumi," Hayabusa admitted, opening the door to his bedroom. She kept talking a lot about random things and insulting Rig, but she didn't say anything about what led to her ending their engagement. He let go of her hand before giving her a towel and walking over to his closet. All of his shirts clung to his body perfectly, so he was sure that they would fit her nicely. He picked up a black sweatshirt and put it aside then grabbed another towel to dry his hair with. He quickly removed his shirt and put it with the rest of his dirty clothes before he returned to his closet.

"Don't you dare put another shirt on," Kasumi demanded from somewhere behind Hayabusa. _Oh my God,_ he thought after he picked up the sweatshirt and turned around to face her. Kasumi was lying on his bed in her underwear and motioning for him to come closer – it was too amazing for his mind to process. He wouldn't deny how beautiful she looked while doing that, but he knew that he would be able to appreciate it more if she wasn't drunk. He took a deep breath then moved to stand near her. "Put this sweatshirt on."

"No, Hayabusa. I'm not putting that on unless I want to," she refused. _Drunk women are so difficult,_ he silently complained. He tried to give her the shirt again, but she pushed it away and grabbed his wrist. Kasumi made him sit down before she leaned over and whispered, "It's okay, though. You can still join me in your bed if you want to."

"As good as that offer sounds, I don't want to accept it under these circumstances," he responded. He knew _exactly_ what she was implying – the ideas that were floating around in his head weren't really helping him resist her advances are the moment. He always had a thing for women who knew what they wanted; too bad Kasumi was beginning to drive that part of him insane right now. Kasumi leaned in to kiss him before letting Hayabusa take control. They broke apart when they couldn't ignore the need for air anymore and at that moment Hayabusa decided to face the inevitable.

"I don't understand what's stopping you, Hayabusa. Let's have no regrets tonight," she countered, lightly dragging her fingers along his skin. It was obvious that she wasn't going to give up on trying to get what she wanted and that was starting to stress Hayabusa out a little bit. Momiji always told him that – regardless of what he was doing – he couldn't please everyone, but he _hated_ disappointing people. Ever since his father told him how disappointed he was because Hayabusa didn't plan on taking over the company, Hayabusa didn't like letting anyone down.

 _Would this be going too far? Am I in too deep?_

He already knew the answers before he kissed her again.

. **(The next morning.)**.

The bedroom was illuminated by a small amount of sunlight that filtered in from the balcony doors. Different articles of clothing were on the floor, taken off by their owners and thrown aside to be forgotten. Both Kasumi and Hayabusa were peacefully asleep with their bodies close together and their legs intertwined beneath the crumpled sheets. Silence filled the room until it was broken by someone's phone, which was ringing and beginning to disturb Hayabusa's sleep. _Whoever is calling doesn't want anything,_ he told himself while wrapping an arm around Kasumi's didn't open his eyes when the noise stopped, but he knew that there was no point in trying to go back to sleep. He hummed when she moved closer then opened his eyes to meet her amber ones.

"Good morning, Ryu," she whispered. She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair before giving him a tentative smile. Despite not being used to women touching him without his permission, Hayabusa easily relaxed when she continued playing with his hair. Her hands were warm and he could feel one of them tracing the few scratches that she left on his back.

"Good morning. I like it when you say my first name," he declared. Kasumi moved to straddle his waist then leaned down to whisper his name in his ear. He chuckled and met her lips when she turned to kiss him then raised a hand to brush some of her messy hair to the side. The moment was ruined as soon as the phone starting ringing again, causing Hayabusa to frown and stare at Kasumi. "Your phone is down there ringing."

"I turned mine off last night," Kasumi claimed, shaking her head. Hayabusa closed his eyes and cursed while he reached around for his phone. He finally found it then – after preparing to curse the person out – answered the phone.

" _Ryu! Good thing you answered your phone this time."_

He immediately opened his eyes once he recognized who was on the phone. _What the hell,_ he briefly thought. He had to pull himself together before responding to Hayate, because once Hayate noticed something unusual it was hard to get him to believe that nothing was wrong. "Hayate," he said. Surprise was clearly written on Kasumi's face and he had to ignore it while he continued. "I had called you a few times yesterday."

" _I know, but I couldn't answer since I was in San Diego doing something for an investigation my boss had recently assigned me to. I need you to do me a couple of favors,"_ Hayate stated, getting to the point.

"What do you need?"

" _First, I need you to find Kasumi and tell her to call me as soon as possible. Ayane told me that she got a call from Rig about Kasumi calling the wedding off for some reason. Ayane and I tried to call her multiple times, but she didn't answer and Tina hasn't seen her since yesterday morning,"_ Hayate explained, sounding distressed.

Hayabusa glanced at Kasumi, who hasn't moved since she heard who Hayabusa was talking to. He placed a hand on one of her hips and moved his thumb in small circles, hoping to calm her down. He returned his attention to the phone call a few seconds later. "Calm down, I'll tell her if I see her. What else did you need?"

" _You're better at getting information from certain people than I am, Ryu. I need–"_

"Hayate, you know I don't like being involved in your investigations," Hayabusa interrupted.

" _I know, but I really need your help with this. Can you ask around and see if anyone know anything about a drug called 'Haze'? Forensics say that some of the bodies they examined had doses of it in their systems. We don't know if it purposefully kills people or if they accidentally overdosed. Either way, I think it's being sold on the streets, so I want to find the source as soon as possible."_

"I guess I'll help you, Hayate. I'll call you if I hear anything important," Hayabusa replied. Hayate quickly thanked him before he ended the call. Hayabusa looked at Kasumi again, noticing that she was blankly staring at her hands. Hayabusa sat up and lifted a hand as if he was going to touch her; however, he thought better of it and dropped his hand. Her silence was making him nervous, so he called her name to get her attention.

"What if Hayate finds out about us?" she asked, voice full of concern. They both knew Hayate always went out of his way when it came down to protecting someone he cared about. Him finding out their secret was a possibility Hayabusa didn't even think about, so he took a moment to consider the outcomes. None of them were good and it seemed like there was nothing he could do if Hayate did find out.

"Don't worry, I'll deal with it," he answered. She nodded in understanding a minute later, but Hayabusa knew that something else was bothering her. They quietly sat across from each other on the bed for a while before Kasumi leaned forward to kiss him again. Without much thought, Hayabusa slightly turned his head and reasoned, "We shouldn't make this worse."

"Ryu –"

"I don't think you know what you want, Kasumi. This needs to stop before it becomes something that it shouldn't be," he quickly explained.

"I'm not engaged anymore," she claimed, placing a hand on his shoulder. Hayabusa shook his head then gently grabbed the hand and removed it. _Don't get attached,_ he reminded himself.

"You're ex-fiancé hurt you somehow, which made you decide to end the engagement and go drinking," he began. "A taxi brought you to my house, then we had sex. Let's just admit that you wanted to have sex with me in order to take your mind off things. Besides, I'm sure that none of that would've happened if you weren't drunk."

"Are you saying that I wasn't serious about ending my engagement?" Kasumi asked, angry at the accusation. "I was serious about everything I said last night!"

"I really don't feel like arguing about this," Hayabusa declared, suddenly tired. "Say whatever you want, Kasumi. In the end, I still think that we should stop. I'm just the guy you come to when your man can't satisfy you."

He didn't see Kasumi shake her head although he felt when she stood up. "You don't know what my relationship with Rig was like, so don't talk as if you do," Kasumi warned. She finished getting dressed then glared at him. "I can't believe I slept with you."

Hayabusa laughed although Kasumi obviously didn't say anything funny. "I know, right? I was surprised since you always push me away when you're sober," he stated. He regretted that sentence as soon as he said it, and quickly tried to fix his mistake. "Wait, Kasumi."

She stopped in front of the door with a shaking hand on the doorknob. He stood up then approached her before pulling her into a hug. Hayabusa wasn't used to doing things like this, but sometimes he secretly craved physical contact that wasn't sex or didn't lead to it and – from the looks of it – Kasumi needed the same thing, too. So he stood there in his boxers with his arms wrapped around Kasumi while she closed her eyes and returned the hug. There was nothing between them, yet the hug told Hayabusa everything he needed to know about how she felt right now. He knew that he had to _fix_ the way he hurt her, because he shouldn't add to the pain she already felt.

"I wasn't saying that you weren't serious about what you said," Hayabusa mumbled, voice slightly muffled by her hair. "I still stand by what I said before this argument started and I hope you understand why. Your ex-fiancé is a bitch for whatever he did to you; I don't think he deserves a woman like you anyway. That might not mean much since we barely know each other, but maybe we do know each other enough for me to be able to say it. Let's just go our separate ways before everything goes to hell. You can keep my black sweatshirt if you want to."

Kasumi nodded in agreement then – a few seconds later – they both let go and stepped away from each other. Neither person said anything while Kasumi grabbed her phone and wet shirt then left. Hayabusa sighed and started cleaning up his room. After a few minutes of pondering what already happened, Hayabusa realized that his decision actually was for the best.

 _I'm just a temporary solution for a broken heart in the end._

…

 **I decided to try something new, now I think this is my best chapter so far! Honestly, this wasn't a part of the plan, and I would love to see what you all thought of it. Thanks for reading! Reviews would be nice.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Truth Telling, Truth Seeing

 **I'm glad people enjoyed the last chapter! I also want to thank the guest reviewers for their nice reviews.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Can my problems get worse than they already are?_ Kasumi wondered while she started her car. Fortunately, Brad made sure nothing happened to it while she left it at the bar although he didn't explain how he knew the car was hers. She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to ignore the headache that was beginning to make its presence known. She sighed and opened her eyes before she glanced at her phone. None of her siblings' phone calls have been returned yet, and Kasumi is beginning to question the point of calling them at all. _I already have enough stuff to deal with. I just have to face one thing at a time,_ she reasoned before starting to drive home.

When she turned the corner and saw the different vehicles that were parked outside of her house, Kasumi frowned and simply stared at them. Tina's truck was closer to the house, Eliot's car – which Ayane was most likely driving – was next to it, Hitomi's car was behind the truck while her father's truck was behind Eliot's car, meaning her parents could be there too. Leifang's car was also there, so Kasumi figured all of her friends and family – except Hayate – were in the house. There was another car that Kasumi didn't recognize, but she parked next to it anyway and grabbed her phone, shirt, and keys then approached the house. She was nervous and tired, but whatever issue she was about to start had to be dealt with before the rest. Otherwise, things would just keep spinning out of control.

After opening the door, Kasumi felt overwhelmed by the amount of people who seemed to be waiting on her. Her parents, Ayane, and Eliot were watching her with worry in their eyes; Tina and Hitomi looked happy while Leifang and Jann Lee didn't do anything besides wave at Kasumi. The person who surprised her the most though was her wedding planner, Helena, who was sitting on the couch next to Ayame. Everyone started talking at once, yet Kasumi couldn't focus on what anyone was saying. She frowned and pressed her hands against her eyes.

"Everyone, stop," Shiden demanded, his loud voice gaining everyone's attention. Kasumi slowly removed her hands after the noise stopped. He was leaning against the wall near Ayame, and Kasumi has never seen him look so worried or concerned before. _Maybe that's because he never had a reason to worry so much_ , she realized. She focused on his words when he spoke again, this time in gentle tone. "Kasumi, you just don't know how worried we were."

"I'm so sorry," she responded. She felt terrible for making her family and friends worry about her while she was out drinking and sleeping with a stripper. She absently pulled at the sleeves of Hayabusa's sweatshirt and added, "I should have called someone."

"It's alright as long as you're not hurt," Ayame said, standing up to give Kasumi a hug. Kasumi couldn't stop herself from smiling when her mother gave her a squeeze before leaning back to stare at her. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion then she asked, "You are okay, aren't you?"

Kasumi nodded although it looked like Ayame didn't believe her. Ayane stepped forward and placed a hand on Kasumi's shoulder. "That's good," she claimed. "I had called you multiple times last night, but you didn't answer."

"We thought you went missing or something, so Ayane and I called everyone then we met up here," Eliot added. He paused then shook his head and didn't say anything else. Alarms started going off in Kasumi's head immediately because Eliot didn't do that unless he knew something that he wasn't supposed to know and didn't want anyone else to know about. _What does he know? Is it about something I've done?_ It was unusual and Kasumi tried not to panic.

"Where did you go after you left here, Kasumi?" Tina suddenly asked.

"I…" She stopped when she realized that she never did talk to Hayate like she wanted to. He did call her a few times, but her phone was turned off and she was most likely too focused on Hayabusa at the time. She thought about what happened between her and Rig. Her feelings were still hurt and she suddenly felt like giving up on all of this mess. Kasumi didn't finish the statement while her gaze drifted down to the floor.

"Sweetheart, where is your engagement ring?" Helena whispered as if she was talking to herself. Everyone heard her though and stared at Kasumi's left hand as if it held the answers to life's difficult questions. Kasumi didn't bother to act as if she just noticed the ring was missing; she knew it was still wherever it landed in Hayabusa's living room after she threw it. She lifted her left hand to her chest and grabbed a fistful of the sweatshirt before she leaned against the door. _I can't handle this._ _I should have known that I couldn't._ Someone stepped closer to her shaking form, but she couldn't see past her tears to identify the person.

"Gentlemen, can you give us some privacy?" Ayame asked politely despite sounding like she wasn't giving the men a choice in the matter. Jann Lee nodded and moved towards where the back door was then Eliot reluctantly followed him after a few seconds.

"I need to know what that idiot did to break one of my daughter's heart, so I can break his," Shiden claimed, not moving from his spot. Kasumi didn't have the courage to speak right now, but honestly she didn't want her father to be in the room while she explained because after he heard everything, he might want to hurt _two people_ – and one person doesn't really deserve it.

"Shiden, we will talk about this later. This has to be a 'Ladies Only' conversation right now," Ayame stated while she pulled on her husband's arm. Kasumi quietly wiped her eyes and watched her father frown and step away from the wall. He whispered something to Ayame before he went over to Kasumi and gave her a hug. Kasumi saw the hurt on her father's face and felt bad for leaving him out of this situation. She watched him exit the room while Leifang placed an arm around her shoulders then led her over to the couch.

"You can tell us whenever you're ready," Hitomi declared. Kasumi nodded then glanced down at her left hand. It didn't look the same without the ring on her finger and she was beginning to miss wearing the beautiful thing. _Do I miss the ring or the meaning behind it?_ The more she stared, the more she wondered when did her life get so complicated.

"I miss how simple things used to be," Kasumi admitted. She knew the girls were confused by the statement, so she turned it into an opportunity to quickly break the worse news. "Yesterday, I went to Donovan Industries to visit Rig. He was in his office with a woman I didn't know. They appeared to be in a compromising position, and he wouldn't tell me who she was when I asked about her. I wanted him to tell me that my assumptions about him cheating on me were wrong, but he didn't say anything. After I told him to find me when he's willing to explain, I left. Now we're not engaged anymore."

The surprise in the room was obvious while Kasumi lifted her head to observe everyone's reactions. Hitomi, Leifang, and Tina seemed sad; Ayane and Helena – surprisingly – seemed to understand the situation. Meanwhile, Ayame's face was neutral although her eyes showed that she knew more than anyone else did. She leaned forward and met Kasumi's stare before she spoke. "There's more to the story, isn't it? Something could have made you decide to go talk to Rig."

Ayame's tone wasn't accusing, but Kasumi still felt like she was being forced to explain the part she purposely left out. She knew her mother already put the pieces together – she just wanted her solution to the puzzle confirmed. "I was at Hayabusa's house before I went to see Rig."

"What? Kasumi, I thought you were done with him," Tina exclaimed.

"So did I," Kasumi snapped, glaring at her hands. Fresh tears were streaming down her face now, and she gratefully accepted the handkerchief Helena gave her. "You know Hayate is staying with him while he's here, so I went to talk to Hayate, who wasn't there at the time. I don't know what I was thinking, but I pulled Hayabusa in for a kiss before I could stop myself from doing it. I came to my senses a few seconds later and pushed him away before I made another mistake."

 _I made the same mistake I was trying to avoid anyway,_ she reminded herself.

"It's okay, Kasumi," Leifang asserted. She was trying to comfort her friend although it wasn't actually making Kasumi feel better. "You ended the kiss before the moment escalated. That's a good thing, right?"

"There's more," Kasumi announced, effectively putting a stop to the girls' agreements. "After walking away from Rig with a broken heart, I decided to have a drink. One drink led to many, next thing you know I'm in taxi that was taking me to Hayabusa's house. I was hurt and wanted a distraction, so I kind of pressured him…"

"Into having sex with you," Ayane bluntly finished.

"I'll take a wild guess and say that the sweatshirt you're wearing also belongs to Hayabusa," Ayame said. Kasumi blushed then avoided her gaze, trying to hide her embarrassment. Was 'embarrassment' the right word to describe how she's feeling? Or was it shame? Guilt? All of those are understatements because despite being drunk, Kasumi knew that Hayabusa was bothered by her advances – he even directly declined her requests a few times. But Kasumi was relentless, so maybe he felt obligated to give her what she wanted, regardless of him being a stripper.

"Kasumi," Hitomi called, pulling Kasumi out of her ideas. "Did you tell Rig about the first time?"

"We're just keeping secrets from each other," she responded, shaking her head. Kasumi shifted to face Helena before she spoke. "Helena, I know you were looking forward to planning this wedding with me. I'm very sorry, but I need you to cancel everything since it doesn't look like I'm getting married anytime soon."

"I honestly don't think you should give up on this yet," Helena stated. Kasumi raised an eyebrow in confusion and disbelief, making Helena continue. "You're stressed out and hurt by what Rig refuses to confirm or deny. Maybe you two will talk about this soon and realize that there's nothing to worry about. For now, I will put everything on hold until you're absolutely sure that there won't be a wedding."

Kasumi didn't know how to respond to Helena's confidence, so she quietly nodded. _I need to stop assuming the worst about everything,_ she thought. She suddenly remembered all of the missed calls from Ayane then turned to stare at her sister, who was drinking some water. "What were the missed phone calls about, Ayane? Are you and Eliot okay?"

"We're fine. Eliot still has the habit of mentioning things he isn't supposed to talk about, but he's working on it," Ayane said, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She shook her head, focusing on Kasumi's first question. "Rig called me yesterday and told me what happened. He asked if I knew where you were, but I didn't. He wanted me to help him find you, but I told him to give you some space to calm down. After that, I called so I could try to talk to you about this. I know you saw the calls, but I have a good idea what – better yet, _who_ – was keeping you busy."

"I turned my phone off at some point," Kasumi informed. "I have no idea what I should do about any of this. It's so stressful."

"You should do what you think is right," Ayame advised.

"That's the problem, Mom. I don't know! Here's the story of my life based on recent events: I used to be engaged until I caught my now ex-fiancé in his office with a woman who was sitting on his desk with her legs open and her shirt unbuttoned. That might not matter though, because I cheated on him the same night we started our engagement break with a male stripper. That guy – who just so happens to be _Hayabusa_ – is best friends with Hayate. Hayate doesn't know yet, so that's a disaster waiting to happen. Well, at least the sexual tension between Hayabusa and me doesn't exist anymore. I really hope it doesn't," Kasumi ranted, waving her hands around in frustration. She mockingly laughed then covered her eyes with her hands. "I think I'm losing my mind."

"There's something here that you need to figure out before anything else," Hitomi said after a brief moment. Kasumi tilted her head in thought when Ayame nodded, considering what Hitomi was referring to. The others were trying to figure out the same thing, so Hitomi continued. "How do you feel about both men? Don't think, just say it."

"I have feelings for Hayabusa," Kasumi confessed. She was surprised, but she didn't give herself time to think about it. "It doesn't make sense because I barely know anything about him, but the feeling is there and it's strong. I hate how easily he can read me although I can't do the same thing to him. He's a mystery, like he's hiding something yet his actions prove that he has nothing to hide. His body is the closest thing to perfection that I've ever seen and I can't get over how beautiful his eyes are. Maybe I'm just infatuated with him. When I was with him last night, I felt…in control. My life is falling apart and I can't stop it, but when we were together I had the power to decide what happened between us. It was so satisfying and I regret none of it.

"Rig is one of the most important people in my life. I've been with him since my second year of college. He's so nice and caring; we had a very deep connection. He had my back every time I had trouble with stuff. We dated for three years before he surprised me with the proposal. He made me feel as if I was the only girl he wanted; I'm beginning to question that now. He's a great person and I still love him. I think a part of me can't stop loving him. Ignoring recent events, the only problem I've had with him is that he wasn't…enough sometimes, you know? I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about," Kasumi explained, trying not to blush. She hoped they knew what she was talking about, because there was no way she was going to _say it_. After a tense moment of silence, Leifang gasped and stared at Kasumi.

"It sounds like you're saying Rig is perfect when it comes down to emotions," Leifang observed.

"While Hayabusa dominates in the 'physical satisfaction' category," Tina joined in, a smile forming on her face. Kasumi didn't enjoy the way Tina said it, but when it was put in those words, the problem was right there in Kasumi's face. Two of her needs, which were completely different from each other, were being met by two different men. _Does that fix a problem or cause more?_ Kasumi wondered. _Probably more._

"Too bad you can't marry both of them," Helena claimed.

"I wouldn't do that even if I could," Kasumi quickly replied. Besides, Hayabusa made it very clear that he didn't want to be involved in a serious relationship – or any type of relationship based on how he said it. Is it because of her issues with Rig? Did it come from a personal experience that had a large effect on him?

"During the past few weeks, I've been asking myself if I've made the right decision about getting married. I also see the point of this engagement break now," Kasumi declared, meeting her mother's proud gaze for a moment. "I really want my relationship with Rig to work, because I don't want to throw it away. Our relationship is too important to me. I just need some time to myself since I've been feeling overwhelmed lately."

"That's so sweet," Hitomi exclaimed. "I think I'm speaking for all of us when I say that I hope you and Rig have a happy life together."

The rest of the girls quickly agreed and expressed similar wishes, making Kasumi smile in appreciation. She loved her family and friends so much – sometimes she couldn't put the feelings in words. _What would I do without them?_ she asked herself. She thanked them for listening to her problems before they started discussing other topics and life in general.

Now Kasumi's ready to put her life back in order.

…

 **It didn't take a long time to write this, and I'm very surprised by that. Thanks for reading! Reviews would be nice. Happy New Year, too!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Two Sides in a Conflict

 **Enjoy!**

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When she finally got the heavy weight of her problems off of her shoulders, Kasumi noticed a drastic change in her mood over the course of a week. She doesn't feel as stressed out as she used to and has been seeing everything in a very optimistic light. _This is wonderful,_ Kasumi thought. _It feels like I have nothing to worry about._ She was currently walking in a nearby park with Tina, who was happily whistling a tune that Kasumi didn't recognize at the moment. It's been a while since Kasumi and Tina have been able to do simple things like this, so they quickly decided to take advantage of the sunny day.

"This is great," Tina exclaimed, smiling at her friend. "I love this park! It's beautiful, the weather is nice, and I met so many nice people while we were walking!"

"I agree," Kasumi replied, pausing to look towards the center of the park. There was a group of children playing with each other while their parents watched nearby. They were tossing a ball back and forth until one child didn't catch it – letting the ball roll to a stop at Kasumi's feet. She picked it up and passed it to the little boy, who thanked her and ran back to his friends. "I'm going to come to this park more often."

"I was thinking the same thing," Tina admitted. Kasumi raised an eyebrow when Tina's bright smile turned into a sad one. "Kasumi, I know you've been going through a lot for the past two months and one week. It must've been hell for you."

"I have been going through a lot," Kasumi agreed. "Life has been very stressful." Between trying to figure out what to do about the relationship aspect of her life and making sure she doesn't make any more mistakes, she hasn't been able to relax as much as she wished she could have. She wasn't sure why Tina was bringing it up now, but she quietly waited for her to continue.

"That's the problem, Kasumi! All of this has been stressing you out, and I can't help you with anything. I'm _right here_ , yet I can't offer any good advice that could help," Tina complained, glaring at a tree. Kasumi shook her head and placed a hand on one of Tina's shoulders.

"You help me by being a supportive friend, Tina. You, Hitomi, Leifang, Ayane and everyone else are great people! If you all weren't so helpful, my situation would've torn me apart a long time ago. Please don't be angry at yourself," Kasumi said. After a few seconds, Tina nodded then wrapped her arms around Kasumi, who didn't know that her problems affected her friend that much.

"Kasumi!"

When she heard her name, Kasumi let go of Tina and stepped back. She quickly tried to figure out who was behind her since Tina was frowning at the unknown person. Her friend wasn't afraid to show her displeasure when she saw someone she didn't like, so the list of possible people was pretty long once Kasumi really thought about it. _I won't find out until I face the person,_ Kasumi thought while turning around. She immediately understood Tina's expression when she saw Rig. He was standing a short distance away with his hands outstretched as if he was reaching for her. There were bags under his eyes and he looked completely exhausted although Kasumi wasn't worried about his appearance. She was more concerned about _why_ he was there.

"Rig?" she called. She knew it was him, but she honestly didn't expect to see him any time soon. After their last encounter, Kasumi believed they went their separate ways without telling each other the truth. Now she wasn't sure what was going on or what was going to happen.

"I really need to talk to you," Rig claimed, letting his hands fall to his sides. He took a small step closer and whispered, "I'm ready to tell you everything."

That sentence made her whole body freeze; the only thing she could do was stare into his light brown eyes. She didn't notice that Tina had quietly excused herself until she turned around and didn't see her. Taking a deep breath to prepare herself for the conversation helped her calm down a little bit. _I don't know if I should feel nervous or not,_ she thought. She was ready to talk to him despite the possibility of walking away without at least having closure. Rig hasn't said anything during the past few minutes they've spent going to a less crowded area, so she figured there were a lot of things that she had to know about.

While trying to keep her face blank and her emotions under control, Kasumi turned to stare at Rig. "What kept you from coming to talk to me sooner?"

"I had to go handle some recent business deals and create a contract for a potential business partner. A new product has also been developed recently, so I had to work with that, too. I can't tell you much right now because it is still being tested," he explained. He paused for a second then continued. "Your sister also told me to give you some space. I'm here now, though, so I'll tell you what you want to know."

 _Are the deals related to what Hayate told me about?_ she wondered. She might have to mention it to her brother to see if anything lines up because Rig wasn't giving away much information at the moment. For now, Kasumi has to figure out what she wants to know first. "We can start this discussion with you telling me about that woman."

Rig visibly winced and turned his head away, unknowingly answering one of her questions. She had a feeling that he knew the woman – she just need to figure out how does he know her. Part of her has already came up with multiple ideas about that, but she knows that she shouldn't assume anything.

"I'm so sorry, Kasumi. I'm really sorry," Rig apologized. He lifted a hand then immediately dropped it. "It was wrong – all of it – and I shouldn't have been so stupid. I knew I shouldn't have done it."

"What did you do?"

"I..." he paused and met her gaze. "Kasumi, I cheated on you."

He finally confirmed her suspicions, and Kasumi couldn't ignore the sharp feeling in her chest. She still wanted him to tell her that she was jumping to conclusions when she accused him of cheating. She didn't want the current topic to be the actual truth. Rig was waiting on her to say something, so she swallowed the lump in her throat and spoke. "Rig…"

"I didn't mean to," he began. "It was two weeks after we started our break, and I went to a bar with a few coworkers in order to celebrate the development of the new product. I was buying some drinks when I met her. She was making advances and I was a little drunk then before I realized where my thoughts were going I knew I kind of wanted her the same way that she wanted me. We were kissing in the back of my car before things escalated."

"What do you mean by 'kind of'?" she asked. _Did he try to stop himself before he slept with that woman? Or did he wait for certain circumstances before he decided to cheat?_ She really hoped it was the former because their relationship issues ran deeper than she thought if it turned out to be the latter. She frowned when Rig shrugged his shoulders then chose to ask the next question. "Was that the only time you slept with her?"

"No," he answered. "We met three or four more times after that. I'm so sorry, Kasumi!"

 _Three or four times?_ her mind repeated. That was enough to make the sharp pain double and she didn't try to hide the frown on her face. The way he said it was bothering her, too. _He said it as if he doesn't regret it,_ she thought. _Does he really care?_ His sincerity was written on his face, but his voice made him seem indifferent. Kasumi didn't know what to say to Rig because he was avoiding the questions that she really wanted answers to. She couldn't wrap her mind around all of the ideas that were bouncing around in her head and she really wanted to leave.

She couldn't leave though because if she did, she would never tell Rig about her wrongdoings. The memory of her father telling her and her siblings to always share both sides of the story when they were fighting about something made Kasumi see how valuable life lessons are. A bitter smile briefly appeared on her face before her expression turned into a sad one. "I guess the only thing we've been doing lately is hurting each other because I cheated on you too."

Looking away from Rig's shocked face was the only thing Kasumi could do to make sure she wouldn't lose it. Maybe it's because of her pride, but she refused to cry when she knows she has to take responsibility for her actions like an adult. Rig was over there mumbling about something although Kasumi didn't hear most of it. She honestly thought this conversation was going to involve a lot of emotions and hurtful words. It's only quiet moments and barely contained anger so far.

"Really? When? With who? Why?" Rig suddenly asked. There was anger in his eyes, and Kasumi knew Rig wasn't the best guy to be around when he's angry. She wasn't afraid of him though – she can protect herself when she has to.

"The first time happened during the night of my bachelorette party, which was the same day we started our break. We were drinking then Tina called a male stripper for entertainment. The next morning, I woke up next to him in my bed. I also slept with him a few hours after I saw you with that woman last week," she explained. Now that she thought about it, the last time she slept with Hayabusa was after she ended her engagement with Rig. _Does that still count as cheating? I guess that depends how on Rig see it_ , she decided.

"What the hell, Kasumi?" Rig shouted. He was definitely angry and seemed to be hurt by her explanation. "You stabbed me in the back!"

"It was an accident, Rig! I wasn't trying to hurt you on purpose," she admitted while facing him again. "I care about you too much to do something like that."

Rig pressed the palms of his hands against his eyes and took a few deep breaths. She waited in the tense silence for another one of his outbursts; when the silence continued, she asked another question. "Who is that woman?"

"Don't worry about her because it's not like your going to tell me about your stripper toy. This is between us," he replied, motioning to the space between them. Kasumi briefly felt offended when Rig called Hayabusa her 'stripper toy' although she quickly remembered Hayabusa saying that she only used him for sex. _I wasn't using him,_ she thought. The idea of using Hayabusa then pushing him aside made Kasumi sick; she wanted to apologize to him for making it seem that way.

"I know I made a mistake, but I really want to discuss this and try to fix our relationship," she offered. Her eyes searched his face for a clue about what her words meant to him; the only emotion she saw was anger.

"Do you, Kasumi? Because right now I don't _see_ anything to _fix_ ," he snapped, clenching his fists.

 _He just threw our relationship back in my face,_ she realized. Those three years before his proposal were some of the best years in her life. She doesn't know what to think now that it sounds like none of it meant anything to Rig. His words felt like a punch in the face, but Kasumi suddenly didn't have the energy to put the same amount of pain behind her own words. _He has every right to be angry, but he can't act like he's the only person hurt,_ Kasumi thought.

"Are you saying that our relationship meant nothing to you?"

"It meant everything to me," Rig passionately exclaimed, stepping closer to Kasumi. "It still does, but you cheated on me first and I don't know how to feel about that!"

"I don't know how to feel about you cheating on me multiple times either, Rig," she declared, glaring at him. The way he kept trying to shift the focus of the conversation over to what she did was beginning to irritate her. "Neither one of us have been completely faithful to the other ever since our break started, so maybe we should just go our separate ways now."

She didn't want to give up, but she was _so tired_ of this conversation and the way it was beginning to lead to a terrible outcome. She's trying to fight for their relationship, but if they were just going to stand here in the park and waste each other's time, she was willing to admit to an early defeat. Kasumi sighed and stared down at her hands before she spoke. "I'm tired, Rig."

"Kasumi, I don't want to let you go," Rig announced as if he didn't hear her say anything. He reached out and grabbed her hand then continued. "I still want to marry you. I don't care about what happened between you and the stripper because we've both done bad things behind each other's back. I want to move on from this."

"I do, too," she agreed. "We need to talk about this before it becomes a problem later, Rig."

She raised an eyebrow when Rig lightly squeezed her hand while shaking his head. Her concern about the lack of discussion related to their affairs was increasing, but Rig didn't seem to share the same feeling. The feeling of Rig's thumb moving back and forth across her knuckles was beginning to make her relax; she hated how easily he could calm her down, yet loved it at the same time. _I'm confused,_ she thought.

"I believe we already discussed everything," Rig claimed. "We both confessed and explained how it happened without revealing anyone's name. Kasumi, I believe the problem is the amount of time we're spending _away from each other_ while we're preparing to _spend the rest of out lives together._ "

A smile slowly appeared on Rig's face, making Kasumi wary of his words. "What are you trying to say, Rig?"

His hesitation could've been for dramatic effect or the need for the right words, but after a minute Rig answered her question. "I want to move the wedding a few weeks ahead. Before you try to protest, I want you to know that I respect your family traditions although I don't think a lot of time apart would be good for us. We've been nearly inseparable since we started dating, so maybe the break is getting close to the point where it's been going on for too long."

While she thought about what Rig was saying, she slowly realized that most of his idea made sense. She nodded in understanding then responded. "There are some things we still need to work on and it would be difficult to get things earlier than intended."

"We already have everything except the invitations and attire. I can work with Helena to move the wedding ahead – three weeks before the original date will still give us enough time to get the rest of it done. We might have to pay the entertainment and caterer more money though. That won't be a problem," Rig mentioned.

"Then it will only be one month until our wedding," Kasumi said in disbelief. Rig's plan was crazy, but she knew they could do it if they started as soon as possible. The thought of doing this made her both nervous and excited; she didn't even notice she was nodding her head and smiling until Rig kissed her and puller her into a hug.

"We can handle this, Kasumi," he assured after he kissed her forehead. Kasumi's happiness was so overwhelming that she couldn't say anything, so she simply returned the hug. A part of her was still bothered by the earlier conversation, but she believes that they will be able to move on from their past mistakes.

…

 **Sorry for the late update, I've been busy with other stuff. This chapter was difficult to write, but I had to do it this way for the rest of the story. Thanks for reading! Reviews would be nice.**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Against a Wall (Hayabusa)

 **Omg, I'm so sorry about not updating sooner! I would've, but the first version of this chapter was short and terrible, so I decided to fix it.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Working at a strip club isn't as bad as most people think it is – well, the one Hayabusa works at isn't bad. He works at a place called Dark Intoxication, where drinks are made exactly as they're ordered and everyone is treated with respect. It's not shady like most strip clubs and Sarah made sure to make it look classy while offering the best entertainment to her customers. There were both male and female strippers walking around and giving lap dances while the bright lights flashed to the beat of the loud music that was playing in the background.

Tonight Hayabusa was wearing a pair of dark gray Bermuda shorts and black shoes since the only thing he was going to do was serve drinks to people. He wanted to have a slow night since he had to wake up early tomorrow in order to make sure that he had everything organized for his upcoming art show. There was never a slow night though, so he's been walking back and forth from the bar to different tables for most of the night. He adjusted his aviators and smoothly stepped away from a woman who was trying to touch his chest while he accepted a generous amount of money from her friend. Women have been basically throwing money at him all night, but he wasn't going to complain since he didn't have to really do anything for it.

As he approached the bar, his eyes landed on Lisa, who was a tall woman with short brown hair and brown eyes. She was a nice woman and beautiful enough to gain anyone's attention without having to try too hard. She was the first person to befriend Hayabusa when he came to Dark Intoxication – they've been friends ever since. Surprisingly, she was behind the bar making drinks instead of dancing for a random guy. When he was close enough for her to notice him, she smiled and winked at him. "Hey, handsome. Shouldn't you be doing more than serving drinks tonight?"

"No. I don't feel like doing much," he answered, leaning against the counter. It was easy for him to act casual although pretending to not notice all of the stares was slightly difficult. _I enjoy the attention a little bit too much sometimes,_ he thought. "I think you should be working the middle of the floor, though."

"Not tonight," she replied. She passed a glass to one of the women Hayabusa was standing next to then continued. "Besides, I think the other ladies and guys are enjoying the extra attention. I saw Zack drag a guy out a few minutes ago because he wouldn't keep his hands to himself. I wouldn't be surprised if it happens again tonight."

"It wouldn't be a regular night if he didn't make someone leave," Hayabusa responded, smiling at a woman. It was fake though – there was no way in hell he was going to genuinely smile at a woman who was too busy focusing on his body. He's seen other strippers do it, but the thought of even trying to do it was too uncomfortable and personal for him. _How can they do it so easily?_

He ignored the women who were whispering about him and trying to get his attention while he watched Lisa put two beers in front of him. She quickly told him that the drinks were for a table that was closer to the back of the room before she moved to the other end of the counter. _I have never noticed this spot before_ , Hayabusa thought as he made his way through the crowd and towards the back. A man was sitting at the table though, staring at the woman who was currently on the stage. Hayabusa walked around to stand near the wall then placed the beers on the table. "There are your drinks. Enjoy them."

"Thank you," the man drawled while he handed Hayabusa some cash. Hayabusa nodded and was going to leave until the man's right hand lightly wrapped around his right wrist. "W-Wait! I…I want a lap dance."

"Okay, I'll send a woman over here as soon as possible," he declared. The man was still holding his wrist, so Hayabusa frowned and reached to remove the hand. The man suddenly grabbed his other hand then turned Hayabusa around and pushed him against the wall. His left arm was pinned slightly above his head while his right was pinned behind his back. The grips on his wrists were too damn tight and he was still slightly stunned from harshly hitting the wall.

' _What the hell?'_ was the only thought in his mind at the moment.

"Let me go," Hayabusa demanded. He barely heard himself over the music, so there was a slim chance of anyone hearing him while the left side of his face was against the wall. The man stepped closer and hummed before he started to gently rub a finger against Hayabusa's skin without releasing his hold.

"I don't think you understood what I said. Maybe you should stay right here and figure it out," the man stated. Hayabusa felt the man's breath, which only smelled like beer, against his ear and tried to hold himself together. This situation was escalating quickly and Hayabusa's mind was struggling to catch-the-fuck-up with it. The man started to mumble vulgar things after he adjusted the tight grips on Hayabusa's wrists. Fear was quickly invading his mind, and a part of Hayabusa had to make sure that he didn't stop breathing. _I know there's a way I can get this creep away from me. Don't panic, just figure it out_ , he told himself.

The man shifted closer, one of his feet bumping into the wall. After a moment of trying to get a sense of how close the man was, Hayabusa stomped on the man's foot then slammed an elbow into his face when his wrists were released. The man stumbled into the table and fell along with it – making enough noise to get the attention of everyone in the strip club. Hayabusa quickly stepped over to the man then kicked him in his stomach before he could get up and cause a scene. Someone tried to grab his arm, but he pushed the hand away and stepped back. He ignored the worried stares and the lack of music while he crossed the large stage to go to the back rooms.

The adrenaline that was pumping through his veins was beginning to fade and the weight of the kind of situation Hayabusa just got away from was settling in. It didn't seem real, but there he was, standing in the middle of the room after getting away from a potential rapist. The pain also became noticeable, so he sat down in a chair then lifted his shaking hands. He saw the bruises form visible handprints and felt a bruise somewhere on the left side of his face. He couldn't erase the memory of the stuff the man had said and still felt the guy's body too close to his. All of it was making him sick – he just wanted to leave and peel off a layer of his skin in order to get rid of the bad feeling.

 _When did I let my guard down?_

"I can't stay here," he said to himself after he went to get his stuff. He hated the fact that the guy managed to force him into that kind of situation, hated the fact that it felt like his life was ruined now, and hated the fact that Hayate said he could get hurt and it actually happened. There were a lot of things he hated, but the one thing that he was grateful for at the moment was the ability to protect himself. _That's the only good thing._ A couple of other male strippers tried to ask him about what happened when he entered the lounge; they were only answered by cold silence. He knew they were aware of what happened, so instead of telling them anything, he grabbed his backpack then went into the closest changing room. He threw on a T-shirt and sweatpants then put his aviators back on despite the left lens being cracked. When he emerged, Hayabusa came face-to-face with Zack.

"What happened to you? Are you okay?" Zack asked. He took a stepped forward, but stopped when Hayabusa moved to sit down across the room.

"That guy requested a lap dance before I told him that I would send a woman over there," Hayabusa began, eyes glued to his wrists. "He suddenly pinned me against the wall and said some stuff that I'm really trying to not think about. I know everyone saw what happened afterwards. My wrists hurt like hell and I feel like emptying my stomach of everything I ate today."

He didn't realize Zack was sitting next to him until he lifted his head. Zack's eyes were focused on the bruises before they shifted up to Hayabusa's face. "That wouldn't have happened if I was keeping an eye on him. Something didn't seem right about him sitting at that table, yet I got distracted by someone and forgot about him. I'm sorry. At least you know how to defend yourself."

"Don't apologize, it wasn't your fault," he responded. The door to the lounge was suddenly pushed open by Sarah, who was being followed by Lisa. She looked angry and ready to yell at someone as she moved to stand in front of Hayabusa and Zack. There was a tense moment of silence while Hayabusa bravely returned her glare with a blank stare.

 _I'm not dealing with anything else tonight._

"What the hell is wrong with you? Nearly beating the sense out of one of my customers because he asked for a lap dance," she shouted. "You could've just handled that a different way. Hell, you could've swallowed your freaking pride like the other guys and gave that man the lap dance. Now women think their favorite stripper is violent and that man might report this to the police. The police might have to investigate this place thanks to you –"

"Look at my wrists," Hayabusa interrupted, standing up. He lifted his arms then continued. "Do you think I had another way to get out of that situation? He wouldn't let go of me when I told him to! Therefore, I did what I had to do. You don't even care about what he did to me before I reacted. I bet you would still blame the wrong person if that happened to someone else. Also, I'll never be 'like the other guys,' so you can shut the hell up with that idea."

He was disgusted and hurt by the fact that Sarah was blaming him for the problem and only cared about her business. He thought she was better than that, but tonight's been showing him that he was wrong about nearly every damn thing. Hayabusa put on his backpack then walked to the door. "I'm leaving and I don't plan on coming back."

He didn't respond to Sarah's shouts of anger while he rushed past the group of people in the hallway. The idea of quitting has been weighing on his mind for a long time although he never thought that he would make that decision so quickly. _It was going to happen sooner or later. I don't regret my decision,_ he thought. Hayabusa stopped a few steps away from the back door and took a deep breath. The cool air was helping him think clearly and he was content to stand in the parking lot for a while. Despite the pain and frustration that tonight has caused him, Hayabusa felt better than he has in a while and it was amazing. He turned around when he heard the door open and quietly watched as Lisa and Zack walked over to him.

"Are you going to work at a different strip club?" Lisa asked.

"No. I'm not going to strip anymore," Hayabusa clarified. Lisa frowned while Zack tilted his head then asked his own question.

"Why are you quitting?"

Hayabusa closed his eyes and thought for a moment. "What happened to me tonight could've been worse than it actually was; I don't want to end up in that kind of situation again. Sarah only seems to care about her club, so I think it would lead to more problems if I were to stay here. I was going to give up stripping sooner or later anyway."

"Sarah does care! She was just worried about the wrong thing at the time," Lisa argued. Hayabusa thought that the way she was defending Sarah was cute, but he _didn't want to hear it_ from someone who has never been on the receiving end of one of her outbursts _._ Before he could voice that thought, Lisa continued. "Besides, what about all of the women who only come here to see you?"

"They'll have to find someone else to be obsessed with," Hayabusa snorted. He chuckled then returned his attention to the conversation. "You said that like it was going to make me change my mind."

A couple of seconds passed before Zack spoke again. "Since you're done stripping, what are you going to do now? Will we see you again?"

"I have to organize a few things before I go on my trip," Hayabusa informed. "I'll still be in Seattle, so I might be able to visit you two when I get a chance. Until then, make sure no one else gets hurt, okay?"

"Don't worry. We will," Zack assured. Hayabusa waved goodbye then walked over to his Mercedes. The drive home didn't seem as long as it usually was, but maybe that was due to Hayabusa's distracted mind. As soon as he entered his home, he went to his kitchen and took a couple of painkillers. He leaned against the counter then took a deep breath. The silence made him remember things and feelings that he thought he'll never experience – the anger from the fight he had with his father, the pain from when he was shot in his shoulder, and the fear from when he was pinned against the wall tonight. _They were terrible experiences, but I won't let them keep me from doing better._

He left the kitchen and dropped his keys on the coffee table before he headed towards the stairs. Something caught his attention though, so Hayabusa stopped and turned around. Hayate was sitting, in the dark, on the loveseat that was furthest from the door with his forearms on his knees and staring at Hayabusa. Hayate looked creepy as hell with his blank expression, but Hayabusa was more worried about how long he's been sitting there. "How long have you been there and what are you doing, Hayate?"

"That doesn't matter," Hayate claimed. "We need to discuss something."

Despite not wanting to deal with Hayate at the moment, Hayabusa walked over and stood behind the other loveseat. "What do you want to discuss?"

Hayate leaned back then asked, "You don't lie to me all the time, do you?"

Hayabusa raised an eyebrow at the question, yet shook his head to answer the question anyway. "I'll only lie to you when I want to screw with your head. Otherwise, I'll tell you the truth."

He was curious about where his friend was going with this conversation. He didn't have to wait a long time to find out, though. Hayate put his phone on the table then continued. "Well, I think you were screwing with my head about a week ago."

"What?" So much stuff happened over the course of a week that Hayabusa had no idea what Hayate was referring to. _My mind might be too slow to figure it out right now,_ he considered. Hayate held up a finger while he pulled something out of his pocket. He suddenly tossed the object onto the table; when it stopped spinning, Hayabusa realized it was a ring.

An engagement ring.

 _Damn. It all makes sense now._

"Do you recognize that ring?" Hayate questioned, studying Hayabusa's face. He's been serious ever since Hayabusa asked him what he was doing, but now he seems even _more_ serious.

"Yes," he answered. Hayate motioned for him to keep talking, and Hayabusa briefly wondered if it was too late to walk away from whatever this conversation was going to turn into. "That's Kasumi's engagement ring."

"I knew it looked familiar," Hayate informed. "Why did I find it behind this loveseat a couple of days ago? That's one thing I can't figure out."

His mind kept warning him that it was a trap, but Hayabusa already knew that Hayate had this conversation planned from the beginning. "She came here looking for you. I told her that I didn't know where you were then she left a few minutes later."

Hayate nodded and continued asking questions. "Is that all? I think there's something missing. Actually, a lot of things might be missing."

This was basically an interrogation, and Hayabusa knew it wasn't going to be long before Hayate stopped being patient. He placed his hands on the back of the loveseat and stared at the handprints that encircled his wrists. "I didn't say 'that was all', did I?"

"Then tell me what happened for this ring to be left here," Hayate demanded, standing up.

"She came back here drunk and told me that she wasn't engaged anymore before she took that ring off and threw it somewhere," Hayabusa explained. "She started talking about her ex-fiancé and random stuff before she decided that she wanted to have sex with me."

"Did you two have sex?" When Hayabusa only sighed, Hayate stepped closer. "Answer my question!"

"It wasn't the first time we did," Hayabusa answered. One of Hayate's fists swiftly collided with Hayabusa's nose, forcing him to cover it with a hand. He knew his nose was bleeding now, but he didn't have time to worry about it since Hayate was currently holding him by his shirt and glaring at him.

"Are you serious?"

Hayabusa didn't respond while he applied pressure to his nose. He was disturbed by how easily Hayate was pushing him against the wall while he was busy trying to keep the blood from flowing down his face. After a couple of minutes of the tense silence that Hayate used to stare expectantly at him, Hayabusa removed his hand and spoke. "Yes. The first time happened the night that I was hired for her bachelorette party. I just told you about the second time."

"Really? I called you the next morning, which turned out to be mere hours after you two – I don't even want to consider whatever you two could've been doing!"

"Hayate, I didn't –"

"I do not want to hear it. I can't believe you, Ryu! You're my best friend and I'm just finding out that you had sex with my sister, who recently fixed her relationship with her fiancé, by the way. What the hell?" Hayate shouted.

"What do you want me to say, Hayate? It sounds like you want me to beg for your forgiveness because you didn't know about what was going on between Kasumi and me. You should tell me why you're so angry about what your sister decided to do," Hayabusa suggested. Based on how Hayate has been reacting to the information, Hayabusa was pretty sure Kasumi didn't tell her brother a single thing. _He had to put his detective skills to work._

Hayate released Hayabusa's shirt then turned around and replied. "I'm angry because all of this happened nearly two weeks after you moved here, a few days before I came here to visit, and – most importantly – the same day Kasumi and Rig started their break! She was also drunk, Ryu; you and I both know that she wouldn't have done any of that if she was sober. There was no fucking way that she was aware of the kind of decision she was making at the time!"

"There are some things you need to talk to Kasumi about because I'm not the person who initiated anything regardless of being drunk or sober," Hayabusa began. "I'm not apologizing for my actions although I do apologize for causing you so much distress, Hayate. Sometimes things aren't as easy as they should be. Either way, you can't tell me that you haven't noticed that there's something missing between Kasumi and her fiancé."

Hayate trudged over to the coffee table and picked up his phone then moved towards the door. Glancing back at Hayabusa, he threw out another question. "What made you change, Ryu?"

Hayabusa quietly let his back slide against the wall until he was sitting down before his eyes shifted to Hayate's. He was tired, but he had no idea what he was tired of. Without his usual straightforwardness, he said, "It's not time for you to find out."

…

 **This is one of the chapters I've been ready to write since the beginning and I hope you all enjoyed it. On another note, I can't believe Hayate is an inch taller than Hayabusa (according to the Wiki)! I thought Hayabusa would be taller…**

 **Thanks for reading! Reviews would be nice.**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Yes to the Dress, No to the Stress

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Oh my gosh, Kasumi. I can't believe you and Rig decided to move the wedding a few weeks ahead. It was so unexpected," Tina claimed. Kasumi simply smiled and kept walking towards the dress boutique. She couldn't believe it either, but she was beyond excited for what might be the best day of her life. Today was the day that the girls decided to search for their dresses since the wedding is almost two weeks away.

"You're not the only one thinking that," Ayane added. Kasumi stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and stared at her sister, who noticed and kept talking. "Don't panic, Kasumi. I didn't mean it in a bad way. I was just agreeing with Tina."

Realizing that she immediately assumed the worse, Kasumi nodded and continued walking. That was something she really needed to work on since it was beginning to happen more often than it should. "Oh. For a second I thought you meant that me marrying Rig was a bad idea."

Ayane shook her head in response while Kasumi opened the door. Two beautiful dresses were on display in the windows, the sight making Kasumi anxious to try some of them on and find the right one for her. After a moment of looking around, Kasumi's eyes landed on her mother and Helena, who were asked to come and give their opinions on all of the dresses. Ayame quickly wrapped her arms around Kasumi before she started talking. "The big day is almost here! But, Kasumi, I have to admit that I am worried about you. You know a mother is always worried about her children's happiness, so I have to know the answer to my question. Are you sure the date change is what you want?"

"Yes, Mom. I've been thinking about what Rig said, and I realized that he was right. We have barely spent any time together since we've been engaged and I have been missing him a lot lately. I'm ready to spend the rest of my life with him. A part of me thinks that I've been ready," she answered. Kasumi didn't like it when her mother worried about something that was related to her past problems, so she tried her best to reassure her about it.

"That's good to hear. Now, let's go pick some dresses," Ayame declared. She led the group over to a woman who was sitting behind the counter. The woman immediately put away the notebook she was writing in before she stood up and shook everyone's hand.

"Good morning! My name is Claire and I will be assisting you all today since there's no one else here. Before I take you to the Wedding Section, I need to know which one of you are Kasumi? I heard she's the lucky bride-to-be!" she greeted, practically bouncing where she stood.

"I'm Kasumi," Kasumi stated, raising her hand slightly. "Hitomi, Tina, Ayane, and Leifang are my bridesmaids. I've decided not to pick a Maid of Honor. They're all too important to me." Claire nodded and motioned for the group to follow her as she turned and walked down a short hallway. A bright smile briefly appeared on her face before she opened the door and entered the large room. There was a floor-to-ceiling mirror on the wall that was across from the door with some couches and chairs placed in the middle of the room. A doorway on each side of the mirror also led to the changing rooms and some more dresses were on display along the left wall.

"Here we are! First things first, do you all want to start with the bride's dress or the bridesmaids'?" Clair asked. Kasumi was unsure about that, so she turned to her friends to see what they thought about it. Ayane seemed indifferent about it, Hitomi wanted to see the wedding dresses, Leifang thought it didn't matter, and Tina was ready to choose her dress.

"Well, we can start with the bridesmaids so I can think about what kind of dress I want," Kasumi said.

"That's fine," Claire responded. "I remember you telling me that the wedding colors are white and light teal. Fortunately, we have some light teal dresses in the back, but I need to know what kind of dress I should look for."

"Strapless," Tina quickly responded.

"Are you serious? Strapless dresses do not look good on me," Leifang exclaimed.

"Now that I think about it, I've never seen you in a strapless dress," Hitomi admitted.

"Exactly," Leifang replied, placing her hands on her hips.

Before Kasumi knew it, Tina and Leifang were having a debate about what kind of dress they should wear. Both ladies are very passionate about fashion, so Kasumi wasn't worried about them making a bad decision. Hitomi and Ayane threw in some ideas whenever they could, which surprised Kasumi more than it should have. In the meantime, Ayame and Helena were finalizing their plans for the upcoming dinner party. It was to going to happen two days before the wedding and Kasumi was looking forward to reuniting with some old friends.

Minutes later, Tina turned and gave Kasumi a thumbs up while Hitomi spoke to Claire. "Do you have any short one-shoulder dresses?"

While Claire got their sizes and left to get the dresses, everyone sat down and waited. They talked about the party and random things until Helena noticed Kasumi's silence. "Is something wrong, Kasumi? How do you feel?"

"I'm very nervous," Kasumi admitted. "I know weddings aren't perfect, but I don't want anything to go wrong. It'll be a very important day to me, so I want it to be as great as it could possibly be. Right now, though, there are a lot of worries on my mind."

"You don't need to worry," Ayame stated. "It's okay to be nervous, but the wedding doesn't matter. Although I'm still worried about what recently happened between you and Rig-"

"We all are," Hitomi joined in.

"You two are preparing to – hopefully – spend the rest of your lives together. It's all about the happy days after the wedding, not the ceremony," Ayame continued.

"Don't stress yourself out about wedding details," Helena advised. "That's why I'm here. Just be as relaxed and calm as possible."

"I feel better now. Thank you, all of you, for the constant support." Claire entered at that moment with the dresses that the girls asked for. She purposely handed a dress to each bridesmaid before leading them to the changing rooms. Tina could easily be heard gasping after a moment, making Kasumi curious about what the dresses looked like. "I can't handle the suspense. Come out here so we can see!"

As soon as they all came out and posed in front of the mirror, Kasumi was amazed by the dresses' beauty. The strap went over the left shoulder and nicely complimented the well-fitted bodice while the rest of the dress flowed freely before stopping above the knee. It was the perfect shade of teal, too. Claire wore a proud smile on her face while she watched the girls take turns pretending to walk down a runway. "Do these dresses meet your expectations? Or would you ladies like to see a different kind?"

"I really like this one," Hitomi answered.

"I agree. I didn't think this color would look so great with my hair," Ayane informed.

"What other kind of light teal dresses do you have?" Kasumi asked. The other girls immediately gave her a look of surprise and confusion, so she quickly explained her question. "I'm just asking before they decide to get the first dress they see."

"Kasumi, I love you to death, but don't scare me like that," Tina said, holding a hand over her heart. "For a second, you had me thinking that you didn't like this dress."

"We have strapless, v-neck, and off-shoulder," Claire responded after she finished laughing. "I believe strapless was already removed from the list of choices. We only have two v-neck dresses here; I could order some in the right sizes for your friends today, but I don't think they'll be here in time for your wedding. We have plenty of off-shoulder ones, but they're a shade darker unfortunately."

"Sounds like these are the only option, which I actually don't mind," Kasumi observed. They obviously wanted to wear that dress to her wedding and as soon as she finished talking that dress was officially chosen.

"That didn't take as long as I thought," Ayame surmised. "Now we get to see what the bride wants to wear."

"I've been thinking about wearing a lace wedding dress," Kasumi announced. Claire nodded and went to find all of the dresses that were available in Kasumi's size. Kasumi paced back and forth in front of her family and friends before she sat down and spoke. "The more I think about it, the more I can't believe that I'm getting married in nearly two weeks. I don't know how to feel about this."

"What are you saying, Kasumi?" Hitomi asked. "Don't tell us you changed your mind and started having doubts!"

"I'm not having doubts, Hitomi," Kasumi stated. "After everything that happened since Rig and I started our break, I never thought that we would still be getting married. I'm surprised, but I'm also happy because we managed to move on from our mistakes. I love him so much."

"I'm sure Rig feels the same way. You two have been through a lot and I believe that it'll only make your love for each other stronger," Helena asserted. Kasumi couldn't respond to Helena's statement due to Claire suddenly entering with a dress in each hand. Kasumi followed her over to the changing rooms before Claire gave her one of the dresses. While Kasumi went to try it on, Claire hung the other dress by the doorway and started talking. "We have so many different designs that have lace. I figured it would be easier to bring you more than one at a time."

"That's fine with me. So what do you guys think about this one?" Kasumi asked, walking into the main area. The dress was strapless with lace covering only the bodice. "I like how it feels, but I'm not sure about the look."

"I'm not a fan of how it stops just above your heels," Leifang noted.

"I think it should've had lace on the skirt too," Ayame said. Kasumi nodded in agreement after staring at herself in the mirror for a few seconds. More lace would've definitely made her consider the dress, but sadly it wasn't made that way. _Looks like it'll be a little longer before I find my dress. At least I get to try on a lot of them._

With that thought, she went back to the changing rooms and tried on the second dress. This one was also strapless and covered in lace despite having a skirt that was longer in the back than it was in the front. It was pretty although they all agreed that it seemed more like a party dress than a wedding dress. Many dresses made Kasumi set them aside for later consideration while the rest were quickly returned to the back by Claire. Two hours later, Kasumi was standing in a mermaid dress and waiting for Claire. She released a sigh of disappointment then turned around to face her friends and family. "I don't like this one. I like most of these dresses, but none of them feel like the one that I'm meant to wear. Maybe I should pick one of the previous dresses."

"Before you decide to pick from the ones you already tried on, I think you should try this one," Claire suggested, giving Kasumi another dress. Kasumi felt unsure about trying it on, but Claire's enthusiasm was enough to make her decide to go ahead and give it a shot. _There's nothing wrong with a trial-and error process,_ she mentally told herself. The moment the dress was completely on, Kasumi released a squeal of joy then announced, "This is the one!"

Before anyone could say something, Kasumi stepped out to show them the dress. It was a long-sleeved dress that had some of her back exposed. The sleeves were made of lace, which also covered the whole dress. The bodice underneath the lace consisted of a sweetheart neckline and the skirt covered her heels perfectly. A smile eventually appeared on Kasumi's face while she kept staring at herself in the mirror. She kind of wished Claire showed her this one earlier but she won't hold it against her because it's too beautiful.

"That's the best dress I've seen so far," Ayame declared. She stood up and walked over to Kasumi and pointed to the back of the dress. "I really like how it snaps together behind your neck. The lace design is also very creative."

"I like the way it shows some of your back. No one will be able to keep their eyes off of you," Tina commented.

"Oh just imagine the hairstyles that would look great with it," Hitomi exclaimed. Kasumi laughed at her friend's random statement before she went to change back into her regular clothes. As she gave the dress back to Claire, Kasumi told her that was the dress she wanted. She felt relieved now that she finally found her dress because trying on different dresses for two hours was beginning to make her tired.

"Kasumi, I'm happy you found your dress, but I guess I have to be 'that person' and ask this question: Have you gotten your engagement ring back from Hayabusa yet?" Ayane asked.

"I'm honestly surprised no one mentioned it sooner, Ayane," Kasumi began. "No, I haven't gotten my ring back and I know that I have to. I haven't talked to or seen Hayabusa since the morning after we slept together, so I'm not sure how to approach him about getting it. There's also a chance he doesn't know where it is because I threw it behind me when we were in his living room. I'll just call him after-"

The sound of two people arguing made her stop in the middle of her sentence. The voices were slowly getting louder until one voice stopped while the other started talking to Claire. After a few seconds, the two people continued their argument while it sounded like they were at the end of the hallway. The people were coming closer and parts of the conversation could be heard from where they were.

"-you need to listen to-"

"-I can't believe-"

"There's a different way to discuss-"

"-why didn't she tell-"

"Hayate!"

The man behind the name suddenly entered the room. Shiden entered right behind him with a look of anger and disapproval on his face. Hayate ignored everyone else and gazed at Kasumi before he spoke. "Why didn't you tell me that you had sex with Ryu? Twice?"

"I really tried to keep him from coming here. I'm so sorry," Shiden apologized. Ayame laid a hand on his arm and gave it a brief squeeze before they both directed their attention to Kasumi.

Kasumi stood still in shock and confusion while Hayate waited for her to respond. The other female occupants wore similar expressions, but Kasumi was too focused on the hurt and confused expression that Hayate was wearing. After a moment of tense silence, Kasumi gained the courage to speak although it was with a strained voice. "Can we talk about that in private?"

"Every single person in this room knew everything before I did, so I doubt if privacy is really important right now," Hayate replied.

She didn't like the way Hayate came in here demanding information that he wasn't entitled to. He's also wrong about that statement – the only person, besides herself, who knows _everything_ about her affair is Hayabusa. Kasumi wasn't going to waste time correcting him, though. There was something more important that she needed to address. "Who told you about Hayabusa and me?"

"There's a whole story behind that. I was in Ryu's living room one day when I found your engagement ring on the floor behind a loveseat. A bunch of ideas about why it was there began to enter my mind, so I decided to wait for Ryu to come home and ask him about it. He looked like he had a rough night, but it's not surprising once you consider what he does. Anyway, I showed him the ring and made him tell me what happened between you two. He said something about your bachelorette party and the day you went to his house looking for me before you came back there drunk. He didn't go into details after that."

During the time that Hayate was talking, Kasumi could only stare at him in disbelief. "Are you serious, Hayate? Why would I tell you about any of that?"

"I don't know, but all of this is crazy and I'm beginning to wonder if it will ever make sense. Probably not since I've been left out," he replied. "You know, Ryu and Rig met each other at the airport the day of Rig's bachelor party. Now I see why Ryu was so distant the whole time and I wonder what Rig would do if he found out about you cheating on him. He might cancel the wedding and move on."

"Hayate," Ayame called in a warning tone.

Kasumi was getting angrier by the second and she was trying to prevent herself from saying something that she would regret later. She knew Hayate was trying to push certain buttons for an outburst and she hated how it was _this close_ to working. "Rig does know about what I've done. We discussed it and moved on. If there's a point you're trying to make, I need you to get to it."

"Kasumi, Ryu is – maybe I should say 'was' – my best friend and he can be very…indifferent and unapologetic at times. He may think that what he's doing at the moment is right without considering whether or not he's hurting someone else in the process. He's done things like that before and I doubt if any of it has an impact on him. I don't want you to get hurt by him because he chose to make you-"

"I have to stop you right there," Kasumi interrupted, holding up a finger. "I don't know exactly what he told you or didn't tell you, but Hayabusa didn't hurt me or force me to do anything. I was drunk both times, okay? Despite being like that I knew what I wanted and what I was doing, Hayate. I'm an adult, so I can make my own decisions even if they aren't the best ones. I can take care of my own problems and learn from my own mistakes."

It wasn't that she was defending Hayabusa, she was just correcting Hayate where he was wrong in this conversation. Hayabusa seemed to be quite the opposite of what Hayate said he was. But then again, she doesn't exactly know Hayabusa, so she could be wrong. _Either way, I know I'm right at the moment,_ she assured herself.

"You're still not telling me why you didn't tell me any of this," Hayate pointed out. He was so determined to get an explanation for the only thing he cared about that it seemed like he didn't hear a word of what she just said.

"See, Hayate? This is why I didn't tell you," Kasumi nearly shouted. "As soon as you discover a secret, you don't leave it alone until you know every single detail! What happened between Hayabusa and me had nothing to do with you, yet here you are acting like you're caught in the middle of it. Somehow you managed to make yourself a part of it by making baseless assumptions and forcing people to tell you stuff. I understand that you're worried and you care, but that was something I had to handle by myself."

Kasumi closed her eyes then opened them to observe her brother while the silence stretched on. The surprised expression on his face proved that her reaction wasn't the kind that he was looking for. She wasn't trying to hurt him, but sometimes he took 'overprotective' to another level. She was having a good day, but now she just wanted to go home and get away from all of this stress. Hayate quietly removed something from his jacket pocket then held his palm out. Kasumi was no where near surprised to see that he had her ring – not after the conversation they just had. She was too angry to say anything to Hayate, so she simply took the ring and stormed out of the dress boutique.

…

 **This chapter wouldn't have taken so long for me to write if I wasn't too busy picking some dresses for this story. I hope the part between Kasumi and Hayate makes sense because I was trying to focus on Kasumi's reaction to Hayate bringing that topic to her so directly.**

 **Thanks for reading! Reviews would be nice.**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Dinner With Loved Ones (Rig)

 **Special chapter! Enjoy!**

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 _Time has been flying by._

There was only two days until the wedding, and Rig couldn't wait for it. Helena told him that everything was officially ready last week, so the only thing he's been doing is working and thinking about how his life will change with Kasumi as his wife. The thought of it used to make him nervous, but now he has no reason to doubt whether or not he'll be happy. He's glad that he and Kasumi didn't give up on each other when it seemed like the easy way out. _These past few months have been hell,_ he briefly thought. Between giving in to his impulsive desires, working on his company's new product and preparing for his wedding, Rig didn't have much time to relax. That's going to change soon because Rig sees himself as the type of man who learns from his mistakes.

As he took a second to glance at the clock, he realized that he has a lot of time until he has to go home and get ready for tonight's dinner party. He could barely hide how excited he was about seeing Kasumi again – even if it'll only be for a couple of hours. His mind slowly wandered to thoughts about his business, which has been demanding more of his attention than it ever had. He already saw the modified version of the drug when he met Jacky and Christie on the night of his bachelor party before giving Jacky the necessary documents for the drug to be shipped. Rig was skeptical about having that drug created and sold on the streets, but when his father pointed out how much money they were making from it, he saw how his father was right. _As long as all of the documents are kept hidden somewhere safe, no one will know about any of this. No one can know that Donovan Industries is behind this._

The was a knock at his office door before it opened to reveal Rig's father, Victor Donovan. It was unusual for his father to randomly stop by his office, so Rig put the papers that he was currently reviewing aside and focused on the man that he always looked up to. Victor entered the room and closed the door then sat down across from his son. "Good morning, Rig. Allow me to get straight to the point so you can continue whatever you were doing before I came in. Have you finished making the contract for H. Enterprises?"

"Yes. I already had it sent to the company although I haven't heard from the CEO yet," Rig answered.

"Good. I'm sure you know that Jo Hayabusa is a very powerful and well-respected man who has done wonderful things with his business. Keep in mind that I've been trying to form a partnership with him for years. This is the closest that the plan has ever gotten and we can't let it fail now," Victor warned.

"I know," Rig replied, nodding. Something about the plan didn't seem right, so Rig decided to voice his worries. "But, Dad, if Jo finds out why we're trying to do this, he could take down Donovan Industries without much effort. Is that a risk we should take?"

Victor frowned then spoke. "I don't think you understand what we're aiming for. If Jo Hayabusa agrees to the contract, we will have everything we need in order to have our drug shipped to and sold in nearly any country around the world. Imagine how much money we could make from that. Besides, I came up with a little plan that would prevent us from being 'taken down' as you call it."

The way Victor said the last part made Rig nervous, but his curiosity overruled it. "What did you come up with?"

"Don't get angry, but something about your fiancée's name convinced me to do some research," he began. "Kasumi Matsuo is the daughter of Shiden Matsuo, who just so happens to be one of the best lawyers in the world. If anything goes wrong, we can hide all of the evidence and have him represent Donavan Industries in court. It'll be easy for him to get us out of any situation. He might even be willing to help considering you're going to be marrying his daughter. Convenient, right?"

So many things were wrong with what his father said, and it didn't take Rig long to put it in a list. First, he didn't like that plan as soon as Kasumi was mentioned. Second, he wouldn't dare use her father to get out of trouble with the law if they ever got caught. Third, he couldn't believe that it seemed like his father only approved of the marriage because of the possible benefits. _I didn't know her dad was a lawyer. I need to shut this down now,_ he thought.

"If you think I'm going to marry Kasumi because of her father's career, you're wrong. I love her and would never use her or put her and her family in danger. If something goes wrong, we'll handle it another way. I don't approve of your plan and I won't let it happen," Rig declared. The thought of doing that to Kasumi made him sick, so he's determined to avoid it.

Rig quietly watched his father shake his head in disappointment for a few seconds. Victor stopped then met his son's gaze with a stern one of his own. "As CEO, you have to do what's necessary for Donovan Industries to remain successful. Whatever your doing to get things done doesn't matter as long as everything works out. There will be a time when you'll have to use someone to your advantage and I advise you to get ready for it, son. Also, if you truly loved your fiancée, you wouldn't have cheated on her with that prostitute Christie so many times."

Rig didn't say anything while Victor stood up and left the room. He knew that his father always had expectations for what he wanted Rig to be capable of, but lately Rig has been feeling like he's under a lot of pressure. _He didn't have to mention my affair,_ Rig thought. Rig was used to the brutal honesty although the willingness to use a past mistake against someone was something unfamiliar. Guilt was a feeling that Rig hated experiencing – that's why he rushed to Kasumi as soon as one of his security guards told him that she was at the park.

He knew moving the wedding ahead was stupid, but he had to choose which rough path to travel at the time. If he would've told Kasumi the whole truth, she wouldn't have wanted to go through with the wedding. She would've left him where he stood and eventually moved on, which was something that Rig didn't want. _I would rather deal with the stress of rushing the wedding than losing Kasumi,_ he decided. _It's a small price to pay._ Now he has to make sure his secrets remain secret and everyone is happy without things falling apart.

He suddenly grabbed a pen and threw it against a wall before he placed his head in his hands. The frustration from trying to figure out what he should do was beginning to make him angry. _Maybe he's right. If I'm going to run this business, I have to do it the way it needs to be done._ That might mean he'll have to look past what he considers right or wrong whenever it's necessary. It'll be a complicated line to cross, especially since he wants to be the most successful CEO of Donovan Industries and a good husband.

Rig was too wrapped up in his situation to notice how quickly time passed. He didn't notice until seconds after Kokoro entered his office to tell him that it was almost time for him to go get ready. He quickly gathered his things and told her to take the rest of the week off then left his office.

…

Despite coming home a few minutes after the intended time, Rig still had enough time to change. He already showered and brushed his teeth and he was currently trying to make a decision about what he should wear. After five minutes of staring at his clothes, he grabbed a navy blue button-down shirt and khaki pants then went to put the items on. Now that he was officially ready, he grabbed his keys and went outside. He almost ran into Christie, who was wearing a very short red dress and had a hand raised as if she was going to knock on the door.

He stopped and glared at her while she smiled at him. "Why are you here?"

"I came to see what you were up to. We could go out tonight," she answered, touching his arm. He moved out of her grip and walked to his car.

"No, I have other things to do that will not involve you. I told you to stay the hell away from me anyway. I finally fixed my relationship with my fiancée, so I don't need you ruining it again," he declared.

"Hmmm, the strawberry blonde? She's cute and I guess you're only with her because she's wife material. I personally don't think she has much to offer, but I'll love to find out myself if you catch my drift."

Rig slammed the door to his car then turned to face Christie. "Listen! Whatever was going on between us is over now, so you have no reason to keep bothering me. Do not talk about Kasumi that way either. If you do not leave me alone, I will make you regret it. I swear."

Christie laughed in his face and went to her own car. Before she got in though, she glanced back at Rig and spoke. "I'm not worried about your little threat, honey. You're going to miss not being with a real woman sooner or later."

Rig ignored her comment while he got in his car and left. Minutes later, he parked outside of the restaurant that was rented for the dinner party. He took a deep breath and removed all thoughts about what Christie said from his mind then got out of the car. Jann Lee was the first person Rig saw standing outside, so he walked over to him.

"Hey, man," Jann Lee greeted. "Are you ready for the best day of your life? It's only two days away."

"Trust me, I am," Rig responded. Jann Lee simply patted him on the back and led him into the restaurant. Both his and Kasumi's close friends and family members were here, which helped Rig relax. He talked to every person as he walked around then eventually found himself standing in front of Kasumi's parents. Her father didn't like Rig – probably never will – but it was okay because Rig thought that her mother was very nice and caring. If they knew anything about what happened between him and Kasumi, they didn't act like it. _I wouldn't know what to do if they ever confronted me about it._

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Matsuo," he greeted. "How are you?"

"We're fine," Ayame replied. "What about you?"

"I'm kind of nervous although I do feel better around my friends, family, and future family," Rig informed. He chose to ignore the small frown that appeared on her husband's face and continued. "Have you seen Kasumi?"

"She isn't here," Shiden revealed. Rig's eyes widened in surprise and he tried to think of something to say. Ayame gave Shiden, who was smirking at Rig's fear, a look of disbelief then placed a hand on Rig's arm.

"I believe my husband was trying to tell you that Kasumi will be a few minutes late," she explained.

"Yes. It was lost in translation," Shiden added, still smirking. "Forgive me."

Rig was stunned by the man's level of sarcasm; he was sure most of it was natural and the rest came from years of practice. Fortunately, he was saved from the awkward part of the conversation by Jann Lee, who was on the other side of the room and loudly calling his name. The parents excused themselves and walked away before Rig went to where his best friend was standing.

"Dude, I saw that terrified look on your face. I knew I had to get you out of that conversation," Jann claimed, lowering his voice a little.

"Thanks for having my back. I wish I knew why Kasumi's dad doesn't like me," he confided.

"You're marrying his first daughter. That might be enough reason for him to kidnap you and leave you in the middle of a desert to starve."

"I know he would if it wasn't against the law. Hell, he could probably do it and not get caught. Jann, do you think they know about what I did?"

"Yes and no. Yes because last time I was around Kasumi and her parents, I could tell that they already knew _something_. No because Leifang told me that Kasumi snapped on Hayate for bringing up something that he shouldn't have in front of her parents, sister and other friends. She wouldn't tell me what it was about, though. Whatever it was had to be something that Kasumi wanted to keep to herself."

"Really? It's hard to imagine Kasumi yelling at someone," Rig claimed. "I'm curious about what could've made her respond to Hayate like that, but I won't say anything about it since I still have secrets of my own."

Jann turned to him, confusion written in his features. "Wait, let me get this straight. You went to Kasumi and told her 'everything' when in reality you're still hiding things from the woman who is about to be your wife? That's a bad thing to do, Rig. What the hell could you still be hiding?"

"I didn't tell her that the woman I was with was Christie," he confessed, whispering. "I told Kasumi what happened, but didn't reveal the name or what she does for money. Kasumi didn't tell me the name of the man she slept with either, but did say he was a stripper."

It was Rig's turn to be confused when Jann's expression changed to one of shock and – possibly – understanding. Before he could question it, his friend's eyes shifted to something that was behind Rig then refocused on his face. Jann nervously chuckled and said, "It might not matter after tonight. Kasumi's here."

Rig turned around and instantly saw Kasumi, who was wearing a gray dress and talking to her friends near the entrance. He excitedly approached her then opened his arms for a hug. He relaxed even more when she returned it and lowered his mouth closer to her ear. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," she stated. She stepped back and continued. "I would've shown up sooner, but I took a nap earlier today and accidentally overslept. It looks like I showed up just in time."

Rig nodded in agreement then followed Kasumi to where they were going to sit. After everyone settled down, Helena stood up and went to the podium that faced the crowd. "Good evening, everyone. My name is Helena Douglas. Tonight we're here to celebrate the upcoming marriage of Kasumi Matsuo and Rig Donovan."

The crowd cheered after Helena gestured to Rig and Kasumi. She kept speaking when the crowd calmed down. "Don't worry, the celebration will be even better on the special day. This dinner party serves as the last time that the beautiful lovers will be with each other before they make the transition to husband and wife. Waiters and waitresses will be out to take your orders in a moment. Feel free to come to the microphone and give a speech whenever you want to."

It seemed like a typical day at a restaurant while everyone's order was taken and their food was delivered. When things went back to how they were, Jann Lee took a break from eating and got up to go to the podium. _Oh no,_ Rig thought as he watched Jann remove the microphone and stand closer to Kasumi and him.

"Hey, everyone. I'm Rig's Best Man and wanted to give my speech now just in case I don't get a chance to during the reception," he announced. "When Rig told me he was going to propose to the woman that he was dating for three years at the time, I laughed at him. I honestly didn't know he was serious about that; a part of me thinks my doubt really encouraged him to go through with it. The day he came to my apartment to share the news of his engagement with me is a day I can easily remember.

"Not only was I surprised that he actually got Kasumi to say yes, I was also surprised by how much Rig changed over those years. He went from a guy who didn't know what a stable relationship was to a guy who wanted nothing but that in his life. Change is good, so of course I was happy for my best friend. Kasumi, you're a wonderful friend and a great person. I will never understand how you managed to wrap him around your finger, but I think you did a damn good job because he likes it. Rig, you better treat Kasumi right. There is no one else in the world like her, don't let her go. If you do, I know another guy will gladly step in and do right. You're a smart man, so none of us have to worry about that. I wish you two the best of luck."

"I won't. I promise," Rig replied. Jann's speech was better than Rig thought it would be. He also didn't miss the subtle warnings that were in it. _Why were all of my past mistakes brought up today?_ He hoped that it wasn't some kind of sign, if it was then he needed to figure out how to prevent it. The crowd clapped and Jann Lee put the microphone back in its place then took his seat. Rig shifted his eyes over to Kasumi, who was thanking Jann Lee for his speech. As he silently observed, Rig's mind began to replay the conversations that had occurred earlier today. They bothered him a lot, making him wonder if his father or Christie was right.

The idea of Kasumi being with another guy also gave him chills; it was something that he couldn't even imagine. He desperately wanted to know more about the stripper that Kasumi was with – wanted to know what was so special about him to make her come back to him again. _She's always been faithful, but alcohol does change how a person acts. I wish I was in a better state of mind when Christie showed up._ He regrets being drunk to the point where he decided it was okay to have sex with a prostitute; after Christie told him a few weeks ago that's what she does for a living, he immediately went to a doctor to get tested. All results came back negative, which was the best thing he ever heard since Kasumi agreed to marry him.

"Rig?" Kasumi called. He absently hummed in response while he tried to figure out if anyone said something that could jeopardize his relationship with Kasumi. "Are you okay?"

He calmed down when Kasumi placed a hand over his. The almost-constant suspicion was beginning to weigh heavy on his shoulders and distract him from important moments. "I'm good. I was just thinking about some stuff. Why?"

"It didn't seem like you were paying attention when Tina, Ayane and Eliot gave their speeches," she informed. "You don't look so good, either. Maybe you should go home and get some rest."

 _Did I really stop listening?_ He barely slept during the past three days and it was very obvious to her. _She knows me so well._ He didn't want to leave her or the party, though. "I'm fine, Kasumi. I got a little too deep into my thoughts. That's all."

"No it isn't," she argued, shaking her head. "I'm happy that we managed to be together for a few hours today, but I'll feel a lot better if you followed my advice."

"Alright," he agreed. The worry could clearly be heard in her voice, so he decided to call it a night. She gave him a small smile then reached over and hugged him. Rig didn't want to leave although leaving would be better than making his fiancée worry more. He stepped back then gently squeezed her hand. "See you in two days."

"See you in two days," she repeated. Rig quickly but politely told everyone else that he had to leave before he walked out of the restaurant. He hoped the reason behind his odd behavior today was the lack of sleep.

 _Otherwise, I'll have to get some help fast._

…

 **Well, well, well. I've been trying to find a way to explain what was going on with Rig, so I decided to put the spotlight on him. I hope I did a good job on the interactions and characterization, especially Victor because I don't know that much about him.**

 **Thanks for reading! Reviews would be nice.**


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